The Best Shelving for Retail Stores

When you’re running a retail store, there are plenty of things that play a crucial role in your success. Having friendly and capable staff can keep your store running and help it grow. Stocking your store shelving with the most popular products can be a big help as well.

You spend a lot of time putting things on your shelves, but how much thought have you given your actual shelving?

Shelving makes a difference in the retail world. We’re going to teach you a little about retail shelving and how retail stores can make the most of their shelving space.

Popular Types of Shelving for Retailers

Shelving plays a unique role in retail stores. Aside from helping you display your goods, it can also help set the look and feel of your store.

Gondola shelving has become the standard retail shelf that you’ll see at most large stores. They’re free-standing double-sided shelving units that don’t need to be attached to walls to work. They’ve relatively easy to set up, move around, and have been designed to maximize retail space and keep customers comfortable.

If you want to go down the traditional shelving route, you have a lot of materials to choose from. Retailers that want their store shelves to have a classic wooden look without breaking the bank should consider going for melamine shelving.

This particular kind of shelving is made from inexpensive particleboard that’s toughened up with a factory-applied melamine finish. The material is widely used in many decorative and retail shelving units.

Making the Most Out of Shelving Space

Deciding the kind of shelving you want in your retail space can be the easy part. The hard part happens when the time comes to use the shelving you’ve gotten.

If you want to use your shelves the right way, you should be doing more than just putting your products on them. It’s important to think critically about how you use your shelves to ensure you’re getting the most out of them.

Before you start stocking the shelves, take time to read our tips on how you use your new shelving units the right way.

Fight Clutter

A good rule of thumb for retailers to follow is to never show their customers empty shelves. While it’s true that barren shelves don’t look good to customers, shelves that are filled to the brim with products won’t be much better.

Shelves that are packed with products don’t provide the best shopping experience for customers. A shelf with far too many products can be overwhelming for shoppers and make it difficult to make purchasing decisions.

Don’t feel the need to cram as many things onto shelves as possible. A little space and product variety can go a long way when you’re filling your shelves.

Utilize Vertical Space

It can be easy for retailers to accidentally limit their display space by focusing on the floor. While it’s true that floor space is important when you’re working with gondola or stand-in shelves, retailers can nearly double their display space when they think about building up.

Most stores have fairly high ceilings, so don’t be afraid to look into tall shelves and racks. A good mix of wall shelving can also help you build vertically.

Building up has its perks. Your staff and shoppers can have more space to move around. Additionally, you can have more space for special displays.

Keep it Fresh

Retailers typically don’t spend a lot of time rearranging their products and shelves. After all, you want to give shoppers a consistent experience and don’t want to risk confusing them by constantly switching up item placement.

Despite wanting consistency and predictability, sometimes changes will have to happen. Constantly analyze how your customers move around the store so you can get ideas on how to better place products and displays.

Your main shelving placement may not change often, but you should have some displays upfront that will always show something new. Consider showing new products, sales, or holiday deals upfront to entice shoppers.

Showcase Your Brand

Everything in your store can help strengthen your brand identity, and that includes store shelving. Consider finding shelving units that can help showcase your unique brand.

Some retailers try to choose store shelves in brand colors. Others place store displays or friendly messages on the ends of their shelves to help set a positive mood for shippers.

Talk to your employees about ways you can showcase your brand through your shelves. If you have special products that are exclusive to your brand, set up shelves that showcase them.

Focus on Proper Placement

When you’re thinking about shelf placement, consider customer comfort. Place all of your most important products at a comfortable browsing level.

You don’t want to place anything too high or too low on shelves. People shouldn’t have to stretch their necks or stoop down low to get what they want.

Your lowest and highest shelves can be reserved for restocking if you’re low on stockroom space. Specialty items or items you’re rotating out of stock can also go on these shelves.

Get the Right Shelving Today

Retail stores that don’t take utilize their shelving the right way are missing out. Store owners have the opportunity to use their shelves creatively to create an outstanding customer experience that keeps people coming back for more.

Do you want to update your shelves after reading this post? Contact us today so we can talk about how to meet your most important shelving needs.