The last several blog posts you may have read focused primarily on visual merchandising, store design, and branding. Although this is obviously an important aspect of the retail experience, let’s be honest, most business owners, especially small business owners, are focused on the bottom line – making a profit. In a retail/grocery store or any store with “low-ticket items”, the best way to increase your profit is by increasing your volume. Therefore, it is important that your store is organized in a way that promotes an increase in volume (i.e. more product being displayed). Here are several helpful tips to increase the amount of product you are displaying.
1. Buy Extra Large Gondola
At MidAtlantic Store Fixtures our Gondola comes standard with a 5’ high post and Base/Shelf combo between 12” inches and 16” inches. For an additional cost, we offer an extra large gondola with a 7’ high post , 22” base, and 20” shelves. Although it may be tempting to save money by getting smaller gondola, the larger gondola handily offers more merchandising space. Not only will you have 4’ x 2’ additional pegboard space for hooks, baskets and other pegboard accessories, the shelves are approximately 8” deeper. The additional shelf space will help you stock more products on the retail floor so the bulk of your inventory is not in overstock. Let’s face it, customers can’t buy from empty shelves. And many times, you and your employees are too busy to constantly restock shelves.
2. Line your walls with Slatwall
The most versatile and cost efficient store fixture is slatwall. For under $100 you can create an 8’ X 8’ merchandising space by adhering two sheets of slatwall onto your walls. Additionally, slatwall provides a versatile line of hardware that suites the merchandising needs of a large spectrum of businesses. In other words, don’t be shy about lining all of your walls with slatwall. Even if you decide not to use a specific area for merchandising product, the slatwall retains a finished look that is appealing with or without product.
3. Showcase and Wall Case Combo
Many retail stores use showcases to display product at the register stand and/or throughout the showroom. Unfortunately, showcases, by nature, are not large enough to store overstock for restocking purposes. Even the Half-Vision showcase with built-in storage does provide a functionally large storage compartment. By coupling your showcases with a wall case, you will have a convenient and safe way to store your overstock. Wall Cases have a 4’ X 8’ glass and melamine storage space with a built in lock for security. Additionally, Wall Cases come in colors that compliment our showcases so functionality does not impede your store’s aesthetic.
4.Know your County’s ADA laws
When laying out a store, I always suggest allowing for a 48” aisle. This amount of space allows for ample room to move carts, wheel chairs, and stocking ladders around your store. However, if space is an issue for you, research the actual Americans with Disabilities Act in your area. This law outlines a variance of required space for aisles usually between 32” inches and 36” inches. As long as your store adheres to this law, make your aisles as small as possible to fit the greatest amount of store fixtures (i.e. gondola, showcases, clothing racks, and gridwall fixtures).
