Every business needs a place to display its wares. That display can come in many shapes and forms and highly depends on the product they’re selling. However, every store manager is looking for the easiest and most cost-effective solution to merchandise display.  

That’s why today we’re going to look at the differences between slatwalls and gridwalls to help you decide which is right for your store.

In brief, a gridwall is a lightweight metal grid used for product display. It can either be mounted to a wall or used as a freestanding display. This type of display is also compatible with an array of hanging attachments that range from shelving to bins.

On the other hand is the slatwall, a displaying solution characterized by horizontal grooves known as slats. They serve a similar purpose as the gridwall but come with a more pleasing appearance.

Both of these displays are popular with merchandisers across the world, but let’s take a closer look at each.         

Advantages of Slatwall

Your typical slatwall for stores comes with 3 serious advantages to merchandisers.

  • Versatile and Customizable – Slatwalls offer a customizable, versatile solution to display. Due to their structure, they can come at almost any height you could imagine in your store. Simply add or remove slats when needed. This is true for both freestanding and wall-mounted slats.

    What’s more, there’s no single way to use a slatwall, and that makes it suitable for almost any type of product you could imagine, from clothing to candy to tech products.
  • Typically Easy to Install – No store manager enjoys having their shop disrupted with a difficult-to-assemble display. This disrupts the store and the customers alike. Thankfully, slatwalls are typically fast and easy to install whether you mount them on your wall or include them in a free-standing display.

    Although this is usually the case for Slatwalls, there are some circumstances where they may be difficult to install. More on that soon.
  • A large range of accessories – Peg hooks, frame hooks, shelves, handrails, faceouts – all of them can find use on a slatwall. And they’re not all. Slatwalls accommodate a vast range of accessories for displaying products, and it’s as simple as sliding them into place. The slatwall really is the plug-and-play of merchandise displays.

And these are by no means the end of the benefits of slatwalls, but they are the most worthwhile to consider when choosing a display solution for your store.

Advantages of Gridwall

Don’t be fooled by appearances, a gridwall in the right place can do a lot for your store. Let’s take a look at the top 3 advantages of gridwalls for stores.

  • Lightweight – The lightweight structure of a gridwall makes it easy to move, install, and store if necessary. No need team lift is required. This makes the gridwall a good solution for small stores with few employees but still want options to quickly move displays.
  • Maximum Visibility – Due to the grid structure, gridwalls create maximum visibility for your products regardless of where you place them – whether that be high wall displays or freestanding island displays, customers have an easy view of every product.
  • Wide Range of Accessories – Similar to the slatwall, the gridwall comes with a wide range of accessories, from pegs to bins to shelving. No matter what you need to display, a gridwall has an option for you.

All of these benefits are why the humble gridwall is one of the powerhouses of retail displays.

Disadvantages of Slatwall

Of course, no solution is perfect – even the mighty slatwall. Here are the downsides you can expect from slatwall displays.

  • Costly – Every merchandiser understands that every quality product comes at a cost. Slatwalls are no different. They can be a sizeable investment that you should be ready to commit to before deciding on them as a display.
  • Potentially Difficult to Install – Whereas slatwalls are typically easy to install, stores with brick or concrete walls will encounter some trouble. While other wall types are accommodating to mounting slatwalls, hard walls will require additional steps to preserve the structure. This is because properly mounting a slatwall on these surfaces requires either an added layer of drywall or a wooden grid system.

As such, stores on a budget or that cannot accommodate their hard walling may want to avoid slatwalls.

Disadvantages of Gridwall

Gridwall displays come with their own drawbacks.

  • Not as Versatile as Slatwall – Slatwalls come in all shapes in sizes, including rotating floor displays. Unfortunately, this cannot be said for gridwalls that are typically restricted to the flat board structure that you expect from wall displays.
  • Limited Accessories – Compared to slatwall, gridwalls come with a more limited selection of accessories because you are restricted to accessories compatible with the narrow bars of the grid structure.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Slatwall and Gridwall

When you’re considering what display solution is right for you, start by considering your store size. Whereas slatwalls offer versatile floor display options, these may not be friendly to stores with little floor space. As such, there’s little benefit there.

Then there’s your store budget. Slatwalls can be costly to purchase and install, especially if your store features hard walls such as bricks or concrete. Although slatwalls are typically more appealing, those on a tight budget should consider gridwalls instead.

Then there’s merchandise – possibly the most important factor. For a wider range, consider slatwalls, especially if your merchandise is on the heavier side. If you’re selling small and light products, then gridwalls may be right for you.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, slatwalls for stores offer a more visually appealing and versatile solution to product display. Meanwhile, grid walls offer a cheaper alternative that provides excellent visibility. In our opinion, a professional store can find a use for both displays with clever combinations throughout their store. However, for overall quality, the slatwall is best.

No matter what kind of display wall you’re looking for, we can help!

With a variety of styles, sizes, and options, you will find the perfect display solution for your store.

We are more than happy to help you find the perfect display for you and your business!

Browse our options or contact us to learn more about what we have to offer you and how we can help make your store’s display experience to the next level.