Patent Publication Number: US-7581643-B2

Title: System and method for footwear packaging

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to packaging. In particular, this invention relates to packaging of footwear, both for transportation and for retail sales purposes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditionally, individual pairs of shoes have been sold in shoe boxes. Although the style and size of shoe boxes can vary widely, most include a cardboard box sufficiently large to hold two shoes, as well as a box cover or lid.  FIG. 1A  shows one existing type of shoe box used for, e.g., a pair of athletic shoes. Box  1  of  FIG. 1A  includes an attached (or “clam shell”) top  2  and a bottom  3 . Shoes  4  and  5  (shown in silhouette with uneven broken lines) are typically placed into box  1  with the soles and rears of the shoes facing the box sides. Box  1  would typically be formed from corrugated fiber board, cardboard or other similar material. In particular, and as shown in  FIG. 1B , a pattern  6  for box  1  is cut from a blank and then folded into the configuration shown in  FIG. 1A . Although the size of the pattern would depend on the desired size of the shoe box, a typical pattern would be cut from a blank having a height (h) of approximately 26½ inches and a width (w) of approximately 26⅞ inches (approximately 4.95 square feet of cardboard). When shipping multiple pairs of shoes (from, e.g., a manufacturer or a distribution center to a retail store), boxed shoe pairs are placed in a larger box. This larger box is often referred to as an MOC (“master outer carton”), also known as a secondary package or as a distribution package.  FIG. 2  shows an MOC  7  used for shipment of individual shoe pairs contained in boxes such as box  1  ( FIG. 1A ). 
     Packaging each pair of shoes in an individual box presents numerous disadvantages. As is clear from  FIG. 1B , a significant amount of cardboard or other material is needed for each shoe box, resulting in substantial material expense. Use of shoe boxes is often not an environmentally-friendly practice. Although many shoe boxes can be recycled, consumers may fail to do so. 
     Shoe boxes also present problems at the retail store level. In many modern self-service shoe stores, a customer is able to select a box of shoes from a shelf. The customer may then remove the shoes from a selected box and try those shoes on. Although many stores attempt to arrange shoe boxes in an orderly manner so that a customer can easily find a desired type of shoe, the orderly arrangement may quickly disappear during busy shopping hours. Customers are then forced to open multiple boxes to find the desired shoes. Customers may then leave these multiple opened boxes lying about, further compounding the problem. When shoes are re-boxed they may be put in the wrong boxes, causing still more confusion for later customers. 
     Shoe boxes can also be an inconvenience to sales personnel in traditional shoe stores. In these types of stores, a customer usually identifies a particular shoe from a display, and a salesperson then retrieves an appropriately-sized pair from a storage room. When searching a storage room for a pair of shoes requested by a customer, the salesperson may be forced to open multiple shoe boxes. For example, a particular type of shoe may be available in several colors. The color may not be indicated on the box, or may not be indicated on a part of the box that is easily viewable. In order to find a shoe pair of the proper color, the sales person must potentially open multiple boxes. 
     Shoe boxes also increase the amount of space associated with each shoe pair. In other words, once placed into a shoe box, a pair of shoes occupies a larger volume. If the amount of space associated with pairs of shoes could be reduced, shipping and storage costs could potentially be reduced. Moreover, reducing the amount of space required for each pair of shoes could allow shipping more shoe pairs within a given volume, potentially increasing shipping efficiency and reducing fuel consumption. 
     For these and other reasons, there remains a need for improved systems and methods for footwear packaging. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In at least some embodiments of the invention, material expenses and environmental concerns are ameliorated through placement of shoe pairs into bags instead of individual shoe boxes. Each shoe bag can be decoratively printed with, e.g., product logos or other information identifying the manufacturer of the shoes contained in the bag. The bags may be made from paper and/or from other types of materials. In some embodiments, the invention further includes one or more display subunits for holding multiple bagged shoe pairs. The display subunits may be used to place shoe bags into shelves designed for shoe boxes, as well as to create free-standing displays. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing summary of the invention, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are included by way of example, and not by way of limitation with regard to the claimed invention. 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  show, respectively, a prior art shoe box and a blank for that box. 
         FIG. 2  shows a prior art master outer carton (MOC). 
         FIG. 3  shows a pair of shoes inside of a retail shoe package according to at least some embodiments of the invention. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  show paper patterns used to create retail shoe packages. 
         FIGS. 5A-5C  show retail shoe packages according to alternate embodiments of the invention. 
         FIGS. 6A-6C  show placement of shoes and retail shoe packages, according to at least some embodiments of the invention, into an MOC. 
         FIG. 7  shows a retail display of shoes, packaged according to some embodiments of the invention, alongside shoes packaged according to the prior art. 
         FIGS. 8A-8C  shows a display subunit according to some embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  shows display subunits, according to some embodiments of the invention, arranged in a free-standing display. 
         FIG. 10  shows a pattern for the display subunits of  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
         FIG. 11  shows display subunits according to an additional embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 12  shows a display subunit according to yet another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 13A and 13B  show a combination MOC/display subunit according to other embodiments of the invention. 
         FIGS. 14A and 14B  show another embodiment of the combination MOC/display subunit of  FIGS. 13A and 13B . 
         FIG. 15  shows a collection of display subunits stacked on a pallet and wrapped for shipment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In at least some embodiments of the invention, shoe pairs are not placed in individual shoe boxes. Instead of placing shoes into relatively expensive and environmentally-wasteful boxes, shoe pairs are placed into bag-type retail packages. As can be appreciated from the description to follow, use of bags instead of boxes substantially reduces the amount of packaging material used for each pair of shoes. Thus, even if consumers fail to recycle those bags after purchasing shoes, the amount of unrecycled material is significantly reduced. Because less material is needed to manufacture a bag than is needed to manufacture a shoe box, packaging expense can be reduced. This cost savings also permits use of graphics and other design features for shoe bags which could be prohibitively expensive if used with shoe boxes. Additional features and advantages are described below. 
       FIG. 3  shows one example of a pair of shoes  20  packaged according to at least some embodiments of the invention. A pair of shoes  20  is contained inside of a bag  22 . Bag  22  is the retail package in which shoe pair  20  is sold to a consumer. The shoes of shoe pair  20  are nested in a toe-over-ankle configuration. In other words, the shoes are arranged such that their uppers are facing one another, with the toe of one shoe located over the ankle collar of the other shoe. A toe  21  of one shoe and a heel  23  of the other shoe are visible. Bag  22  includes handles  24 . Bag  22  has an exterior  26  which may be printed with graphic material (e.g., a product logo or other brand information), which graphic material is generically represented in certain of the drawings with the word “indicia”. The mouth  28  of bag  22  is reinforced so as to maintain mouth  28  in an open configuration exposing shoe pair  20 . The reinforcement also protects mouth  28  as shoe pair  20  is inserted into bag  22 . A hang tag  30  may also be added to one of handles  24  and used for, e.g., pricing information, product (i.e., brand and/or model) name, product number, shoe size, information about shoe color, an SKU number, a UPC bar code, etc. In other embodiments, tag  30  could be attached to other parts of bag  22  (i.e., the edge of the opening), to one of the shoes in the bag or to another location, or omitted. In some embodiments, hang tags could be affixed to both the bag and to one (or both) of the shoes in the bag. In other embodiments, tag  30  is rectangular and approximately ½″ by 2″ in size. In some embodiments, the tag may actually form one of the bag handles (e.g., a ribbon shaped tag could replace one of handles  24 ). 
     In at least some embodiments, tag  30  is (or includes) an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag. An RFID tag could also be included elsewhere in the package, such as in or on one of the shoes, or elsewhere in (or on) bag  22 . An RFID tag can contain information about the shoes in a package, such as size, style, country of manufacture, factory, color, etc. Using RFID tags, information about the number and type(s) of shoe pairs in an MOC could be ascertained without opening the MOC. Such a system would also enable arranging the shoe pair packages in the MOC for maximum efficiency rather than with all sides pointing in the same direction. 
     Bag  22  may be made from any of various types of materials. In at least some embodiments, bag  22  is made from recyclable, colored kraft paper having cross-hatched fiber lay down with cross-directional tear resistance. In other embodiments, bag  22  is made from multi-ply paper and/or is of a multi-wall paper construction. For packages where a higher quality finish on exterior  26  is desired, numerous options are available. In some embodiments, for example, bag  22  is fabricated from kraft paper having a clay coating on at least one face. In other embodiments, bag  22  is made from a multi-wall paper having a higher quality paper on the face which becomes exterior  26  (e.g., white paper on the exterior  26  of bag  22 , with kraft paper on the interior). Other high grade papers could also be used. Paper used to form bag  22  can be printed using any of various methods. In certain embodiments, paper for bag  22  is printed using flexographic printing with in-line aqueous coating. Oil-based, ultraviolet (UV) cured coatings may also be used. In applications where higher quality graphics are desired for exterior  26 , lithographic printing may be used. In many cases, however, higher cost lithography is unnecessary. In particular, a given printing technique will often produce higher quality printing on paper than on cardboard or other stiff materials. Thus, flexographic techniques currently used to print shoe boxes should yield higher quality results when used to print shoe bags. Of course, printing techniques other than flexography and lithography can be used. 
     Other possible bag materials include SBS (solid-bleached sulfate) bag stock, grocery bag stock, etc. Bag  22  could also be made from materials other than paper. Examples include hemp, polypropylene laminate, polymer materials made from high density polyethylene fibers (such as the material sold under the trade name TYVEK by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del.), other types of polymer materials, various fabrics and textile materials (including recycled textile or fabric materials), and metallic foils. Combinations of different materials may also be used. In some embodiments, handles  24  are formed from 100% recycled twisted paper. Other types of handles could be used; examples of other handle types are described below. Hang tag  30  is preferably manufactured from TYVEK or paper, but could likewise be made from numerous other materials. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a paper pattern prior to folding and gluing to create bag  22 .  FIG. 4A  shows the face of the paper material which will become the inside of a bag  22 . Ends of handles  24  are placed into holes  40 . Upper region  41  (shown with single line cross hatching) is folded over along fold line  43  and glued in place. This secures handles  24  in place and forms the reinforcement for mouth  28  ( FIG. 3 ). Flap  44  (shown with double-line cross-hatching) is then glued to region  46  on the opposite end and other face of the bag pattern (shown with stippling). Flaps  48 ,  50 ,  52  and  54  are then overlapped and glued to form the bottom of bag  22 . The remaining unnumbered broken lines in  FIG. 4A  represent fold lines for the completed bag. In some embodiments, handles  24  are simply taped to the inside face of the bag material by a strip of adhesive tape  49  (or alternative adhesive-backed material), as shown in  FIG. 4B . As also shown in  FIG. 4B , folding over of the upper edge of the bag pattern can be omitted. Although the size of a bag pattern will vary, an example size is approximately 24 inches by 15.75 inches. 
       FIGS. 5A-5C  show additional embodiments of bag  22 . In  FIG. 5A , bag  22 ′ includes a divider  56 . Divider  56  separates shoes placed inside of bag  22 ′ and prevents those shoes from rubbing against one another. For some types of shoe materials, excessive movement of the two shoes against each other may result in scratching or other marring of the shoes&#39; surfaces. In conventional shoe box packaging, this rubbing motion is reduced by wrapping tissue paper around one or both shoes. Divider  56  minimizes and/or avoids the need for such wrapping. Divider  56  also serves to provide additional stabilization of shoes when being transported in bulk within an MOC, such as is described below. Divider  56  is formed by an additional paper panel inserted into bag  22 ′; flaps of the divider panel may be glued to opposite internal faces  25  and  27  of bag  22 ′.  FIG. 5A  also shows an alternative handle construction. In  FIG. 5A , paper handles  24 ′ are attached to bag  22 ′. In  FIG. 5B , rope handles  24 ″ are used for bag  22 ″. In  FIG. 5C , a closure  60  is added to bag  22 ′″. Although closure  60  reduces the viewability of shoes within bag  22 ′″, use of closure  60  may be desired under certain circumstances. For example, a closure could be added where additional dust protection is desired for packaged shoes. 
       FIGS. 6A-6C  show placement into an MOC of shoe pairs contained within packages such as in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 6A , dividers  68  and  70  are placed within MOC  72 . Dividers  68  and  70  may be stamped from cardboard or other suitable material. Dividers  68  and  70 , which operate as is known in the prior art, have slots  67  and  71  formed in opposing edges. The upwardly-facing slots  71  of dividers  70  receive the downwardly-facing slots  67  of dividers  68  so as to hold dividers  68  and  70  in a perpendicular arrangement, thereby forming an array of cells  74  ( FIG. 6B ).  FIG. 6B  also shows a bag  22  holding a pair of shoes  20  and being placed within one of the cells  74  formed by dividers  68  and  70 . In  FIG. 6C , all cells of MOC  72  have been filled, and MOC  72  is now ready for closure and subsequent transport. Of course, the procedure of  FIGS. 6A-6C  is not the only manner in which an MOC  72  may be filled. For example, a bag  22  could first be placed into each of cells  74 , with shoe pairs  20  then placed into those bags. 
     Notably, the use of MOC dividers is not required. However, additional structural rigidity and inter-package isolation may be desirable under certain circumstances. For example, individual shoe bags may in some cases be made from materials which are more susceptible to damage if allowed to rub against other bags. As another example, it may be necessary to stack multiple MOCs on top of one another during shipping and/or storage. Addition of dividers  68  and  70  provides additional structure to withstand increased loading. Although inclusion of dividers  68  and  70  may represent added packing materials that are not typically needed when placing prior art shoe boxes within an MOC (see  FIG. 2 ), the cost and environmental advantages of the invention are still present. Even if dividers are used to separate individual bags within an MOC, the total amount of materials needed to form those dividers and bags is still less than the amount of material used to create individual boxes. Because dividers (unlike individual shoe boxes) are typically not printed, they are relatively inexpensive. Moreover, material used to form MOC dividers is more likely to be recycled than is material used to form shoe boxes. In particular, retail stores will typically dispose of MOC divider material as those MOCs are unpacked. Unlike most individual consumers, retail businesses typically deal with large volumes of cardboard and have an economic incentive to recycle that cardboard. 
     As previously indicated, placing shoe pairs in bags offers additional advantages over conventional shoe box packaging. One such advantage is illustrated in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  shows a display  100  such as might be found in a modern self-service footwear store. In such a store, consumers are able to select a pair of shoes from shelves or other type of display. Display  100  contains both conventionally-packaged shoes (i.e., with each pair in a shoe box  1 ) and shoe pairs packaged in bags  22  according to various embodiments of the invention. As is evident in  FIG. 7 , shoe pairs inside of the conventional shoe boxes are not viewable. In order to see what is in one of those shoe boxes, the customer must remove the box from the shelf and open it. Although many conventionally-packed shoes may provide the shoe style, color and/or other information on the shoe box, the location of this information is generally not standardized. Unless a consumer is familiar with the labeling practices of a given shoe manufacturer, the customer will often have to search for the desired information on the shoe box. Moreover, the names that each manufacturer assigns to a particular shoe style and/or color sometimes fail to intuitively provide needed information about the product. For example, a white pair of shoes with blue markings could have color descriptions such as “white/lapis,” “ivory/cobalt,” “bone/blue,” etc. For these and other reasons, many consumers remove and open numerous shoe boxes when attempting to find a desired pair of shoes. In addition to inconveniencing shoe-buying consumers, this often results in unsightly and unorganized display areas. 
     An advantage of the depicted embodiment is that the shoe pairs  20  in bags  22  are at least partially visible. A shopper can thus readily determine which package may have a desired shoe style and/or color without needing to first remove the package from the display. Additional information about each shoe pair (e.g., pricing, size, etc.) can be readily found on a hang tag attached to a handle (or other part) of each shoe package, or on the package itself. The advantages demonstrated in  FIG. 7  would likewise be available in a shoe store in which sales personnel retrieve shoes from a storeroom. Storeroom shelves are often similar to display  100  of  FIG. 7 . A salesperson searching for a pair of shoes could more easily see a needed pair of shoes if that pair is packed in a bag instead of in a box. 
     Although offering numerous advantages over conventional shoe boxes, shoe bags are not as easily stacked in a display. However, this is readily addressed in various manners. In some cases, displays can be constructed with shelves that are more closely spaced in the vertical direction. In other embodiments, and as also shown in  FIG. 7 , existing display shelves can be modified with display subunits  102 . Each subunit  102  holds a number of shoe bags  22  arranged in a row. Each subunit  102  further has a top and bottom surface that facilitate stacking of multiple subunits.  FIGS. 8A-8C  show in more detail a subunit  102  according to at least some embodiments of the invention. As seen in  FIG. 8A , subunit  102  effectively forms a small cabinet for several bags  22  arranged in a row.  FIG. 8B  shows subunit  102  without bags  22 .  FIG. 8C  shows the rear of subunit  102 . Subunit  102  may be formed from cardboard or other sturdy material. In at least some embodiments, each subunit  102  is fabricated from lithographically laminated E-flute corrugated cardboard. The outer surface of the cardboard may be treated with an aqueous coating, with an oil-based UV-cured coating, or other type of protective coating. For higher durability, a polypropylene laminate could be applied. Subunit  102  is collapsible, and multiple subunits can be supplied to a shoe store location in a flattened or unassembled state. The subunits may then be assembled and located where desired. In some cases, and as shown in  FIG. 9 , multiple subunits  102  can be stacked to form a free-standing display. As seen in  FIG. 9 , one collection of vertically arranged subunits  102  can be stacked and placed adjacent to another collection of vertically arranged subunits  102 . The vertical stacks may be angularly displaced from one another (as shown) to form an attractive display. In the configuration of  FIG. 9 , for example, any product name, product logo or other indicia on side panels  105  of subunits  102  is visible to shoppers. Such indicia on side panels  105  can draw attention to (or otherwise highlight) the shoes within the display that are available for purchase. Subunits  102  may also be provided with interlocking tabs (not shown) so that one subunit can be attached to another for a more sturdy display. 
       FIG. 10  shows a pattern  165  for a subunit  102 . In some embodiments, dimensions for pattern  165  are as set forth in Table 1. 
                                 TABLE 1                          ww   74.56 inches           hh   24.66 inches           d1   19.38 inches           d2    8.38 inches           d3   11.63 inches                        
In at least some embodiments, pattern  165  is cut from 32 ECT E flute CCNB-K-W (clay coated news back). Other possible materials include CCKB (clay coated kraft back), SBS (solid bleached sulfate) board, and white top liners.  FIG. 10  shows the surface of pattern  165  which will form the inside of a subunit  102 . Solid lines in  FIG. 10  represent cut lines. Even broken lines in  FIG. 10  represent creases, and uneven broken lines represent combination crease/cut lines (i.e., crease lines with discontinuous cuts along their length). To form a subunit  102 , panels  166 ,  167 ,  168  and  169  are folded at double crease lines  170  and  171  and laid over panels  188 ,  186 ,  184  and  181 , respectively. Panel  172  is folded at double crease lines  173  and  174  and laid over panel  175 . Panel  192  is folded at combination crease/cut line  190  until it is approximately perpendicular to panels  172  and  175 . The combination of panels  172  and  175  are then folded at combination crease/cut line  189  and made approximately perpendicular to panel  191 . Panel  191  is next folded at crease line  176  and made approximately perpendicular to panel  188 . Panel  188  is subsequently folded at crease line  177  and made approximately perpendicular to panel  186 .
 
     At this point, panels  172  and  175  have become the center divider  103  (see  FIG. 8B ) of a subunit  102 . Panel  184  is then folded at crease line  178  and made approximately perpendicular to panel  186 . Panel  181  is then folded at crease line  179  until it is approximately perpendicular to panel  184 . Panels  187 ,  185 ,  183  and  182  are then folded inward and interlocked to form the rear of a subunit  102  (see  FIG. 8C ). Panels  188  and  184  have become sides of a subunit  102 , and panels  186  and  181  have become the top and bottom (respectively) of a subunit  102 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 9 , subunits  102  provide an additional location for display of indicia (e.g., advertising or other product information).  FIG. 11  shows an alternate embodiment in which each individual subunit has a portion of an overall display printed on its side. In particular, various sides panels  105 ′ of individual subunits  102 ′ have artwork, markings or other indicia that is different from the artwork, markings or other indicia on other subunits&#39; side panels. When the individual subunits  102 ′ are assembled such that side panels  105 ′ are adjacent one another, a unified visual image results from the combined effect of the separate side panels  105 ′. 
     As with inclusion of dividers in an MOC (see  FIGS. 6A-6C ), implementation of subunits such as is shown in  FIGS. 7-11  may involve creation of cardboard structures not used when shoes are sold in conventional shoe boxes. However, the cost saving and environmental advantages of the invention remain. When compared against the total amount of paper products needed to form conventional MOCs and shoe boxes, the paper needed for MOCs, display subunits and shoe bags still represents a significant reduction in material usage. Moreover, display subunits such as are shown in  FIGS. 7-11  could be used repeatedly. As shoe pairs displayed in the subunits are sold, the subunits could be replenished with additional bagged shoe pairs. As with MOC  72  and MOC dividers  68  and  70  ( FIGS. 6A-6C ), display subunits such as shown in  FIGS. 7-11  will also be a part of the total packaging system that is more likely to be recycled. In particular, shoe retailers (instead of consumers) will generally have responsibility for elimination of worn-out display subunits. Because retailers often have an economic incentive to recycle, those worn-out display subunits are likely to be recycled. 
     In some embodiments, a lower edge of a subunit  102 ″ could be raised slightly (approximately 1.5 inches), as shown in  FIG. 12 . In this configuration, the front opening  112  of each subunit would be tilted upward, allowing gravity to more securely hold each bag within the subunit. The front face  114  of the lower edge also provides an area for inclusion of additional advertising, product data, artwork or other indicia. 
       FIG. 13A  shows a carton  202  according to additional embodiments of the invention. Carton  202  can be used as both an MOC and as a display subunit. Carton  202  includes a an H-style cardboard divider  204 . Once placed inside outer carton  202 , and as seen in  FIG. 13B , divider  204  forms an array of four cells  206 , each of which may hold a pair of shoes contained within a bag  22 . A lid (not shown) may be used to cover carton  202  while in transport or storage, and then removed when carton  202  is placed on display. In some embodiments, a single oversize lid is used for two or more cartons  202 . 
       FIG. 14A  shows a variation of the embodiment of  FIGS. 13A and 13B . Two cartons  202 ′(A) and  202 ′(B) are similar to carton  202  of  FIGS. 13A and 13B , and have open sides having edges  215 (A) and  215 (B), respectively. In a shipping configuration shown in  FIG. 14B , the open sides of cartons  202 ′(A) and  202 ′(B) are placed in an abutting configuration. Edges  215 (A) and  215 (B) are then joined with a tear-away tape  212 . Tear-away tape  212  could be, e.g., an adhesive-backed paper or other material having a cord  217  or other type of filament embedded in a lengthwise direction. By pulling on cord  217  when the joined cartons  202 ′(A) and  202 ′(B) reach their destination, the cartons are separated so as to provide two stocked subunits ready for retail (or other) display. 
     In addition to the cost-saving, environmental and other advantages previously discussed, a retail shoe packaging system using bags instead of shoe boxes offers numerous other benefits. As one example, shoe bags offer an additional opportunity for a shoe manufacturer to advertise. With conventional retail packaging, individual shoe boxes are often placed into a larger shopping bag when the customer makes his or her purchase. This hides the shoe box and any brand name or advertising that may be printed on the shoe box. With shoe bags, however, a customer is less likely to need a separate shopping bag. If a customer leaves a shoe store holding a shoe bag that is not contained inside of a store bag, any brand name or other product information on the shoe bag will be visible by other persons. 
     As another benefit, shoe bags permit a store to more easily replace packaging which may be damaged by consumers. As previously indicated, customers searching for a pair of shoes sold in a conventional shoe box may open multiple boxes to find the desired pair. In the process, some shoe boxes occasionally become torn or otherwise damaged. When a shoe box is damaged and the shoes therein are not purchased, this may present a problem for the store. Although the shoes inside a damaged box may be unharmed, the damaged box gives the appearance of damaged goods. In some cases, the store may be forced to sell that pair at a discount. As discussed above, shoe bags will reduce the need for consumers to remove multiple shoe pairs from their packages when searching for a pair to purchase. Nevertheless, some removal and replacement of shoes from bags will still occur. For example, a customer may try on a pair of shoes, and then need a different size. Inevitably, some bags may be ripped or otherwise damaged in the process. Because shoe bags are less expensive than shoe boxes, however, a manufacturer can more easily provide extra retail packages (bags) with each shoe shipment. 
     As yet another advantage, at least some embodiments of the invention allow a shoe manufacturer to reduce the labor needed to pack shoes for shipment. Using conventional shoe boxes, a separate box must be assembled for each shoe pair. In some cases, this requires shoe manufacturers to have staging areas for pre-assembled, stacked shoe boxes. Opening a bag will typically require less effort than assembling a box. If dividers (such as dividers  68  and  70  of  FIG. 6B ) are used with bags in an MOC, the dividers could be shipped to a factory preassembled and quickly expanded before placement into an MOC. 
       FIG. 15  illustrates an additional advantage of at least some embodiments of the invention. In  FIG. 15 , multiple display subunits  102  have been pre-filled with shoe pairs packaged as illustrated in  FIG. 3  (the shoe pairs are not visible in  FIG. 15 ), and then stacked on a pallet  311  with their open ends facing each other. The stacked subunits are then covered with flexible wrapping material  313  (e.g., polymer film, shrink-wrap, etc.) or other packaging material. The stacked and pre-filled subunits are then ready for shipment. Using this shipping arrangement, the pre-filled subunits can be quickly placed on display after delivery to a retail establishment. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is recognized that various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, soy-based inks can be used when printing shoe bags and/or display subunits to reduce environmental impact when these materials are recycled or otherwise disposed of. A piece of cardboard could be placed in the bottom of a shoe bag to increase strength and distribute the load of the shoes more evenly. If dust is a concern, shoes can be placed in a clear polymer inner bag before being placed in a paper bag. These and other modifications are within the scope of the invention.