Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Shelf Management System Solutions | Gondola Shelving | Staples.com®

Shelf Management System Solutions

Shelf management is not a new concept to retail small business owners. At its most basic level, it’s the practice of managing existing shelf space to more efficiently stock products. However, shelf-management systems involve merchandising and inventory tactics paired with the right system hardware to organize, stock and display your products to help boost sales.

A good shelf-management system is easy to implement and great for business. A well-thought-out design can dramatically improve visual merchandising — not only driving foot traffic and maximizing sales per linear foot, but giving your store a competitive advantage.

Improving Your Merchandising

Shelf-management systems are key to making the most of your store layout and retail displays. Shelf management ensures your shelf space is used to maximum efficiency — that means stock is well organized with associated products grouped next to each other. A clean and tidy separation of products helps customers locate items quickly and browse additional related products, which can lead to more purchases in less time.

For retailers who carry smaller products or non-bulk items, like health and beauty products, hardware parts, beverages or pre-packaged food, shelf-management systems are essential. Small, easy to handle items are prone to hands-on customer browsing and often get rearranged on the shelf. A shelf-management system will help you keep your inventory organized and save you time from cleaning up your displays.

Enhancing Inventory Management

Shelf-management systems also help with inventory management. They make it easy to see what products are selling faster — or which are mysteriously disappearing from your shelves. When shelves are organized, missing or randomly placed products stand out. While employees need to have an overall awareness of inventory placement and stock, this visual trigger is a quick alert that they need to replenish inventory or there are potential security issues.

Shelf-management systems can also help reduce the risk of product damage or waste. Shelf-management hardware helps to securely store and dispense your products, reducing the risk your inventory will be knocked over or off the shelf. Investing in hardware up-front will save you time and money from replacing damaged inventory later.

The Right Hardware for Your System

Hardware is extremely important for a shelf-management system. Here are some of the best pieces of shelf-management hardware you should invest in:

  • Gondola Shelving: These freestanding shelving units are the base fixtures for your shelf-management system. They can hold significant amounts of inventory and are easy for customers to browse on their own.
  • Product Dividers: These can be stationary or mobile hardware items that divide a shelf or vertical area into sections for displaying product. Stationary dividers can help horizontally segment an existing shelf so adjacent items are easily distinguishable. Mobile, spring-activated sections (generally used to hold products like nail polish, vitamin bottles and stick deodorant) automatically position a new item to the front of the shelf once one has been removed.
  • Point of Purchase (POP) Holders: POP holders generally protrude from a shelf for increased visibility. They include sign holders, brochure holders, coupon dispensers and even magnifiers. They work well in conjunction with product dividers to make it easy for customers to identify products, brands and prices.

Shelf-management systems work wonders for your store — from appearance and organization to inventory and sales. Set up a system that’s easy to implement and uses the right hardware, and before long, you’ll see results.

Related Articles

More from Store Fixtures

blog comments powered by Disqus