How To Choose The Best Retail Shelving For You

If you’re fitting out a new retail space or looking to give your shop an overhaul, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of shelving options available.  Brick-and-mortar retail stores require a specific set of strategies and visual merchandising tactics, and this is where product displays come into play.  Whether you have a specialty store, supermarket, convenience store, clothing stores, or anything in between, display shelves are an integral part of your business success.

 

Types Of Retail Shelving

Retail shelves come in a variety of shelf systems from slat wall shelves, shelving units, free-standing gondolas, and suspended shelves.  Your shelves will show customers your products and help to bring order to your retail store so the system needs to match the size, weight and brand image of the products you sell.

What material is best for shelves?

There are a multitude of materials that are used for shelves and there are no right or wrong options. The best material for your shelves will be the kind that suits your merchandise and your aesthetic, while being strong and durable.

Some quality shelf materials include melamine, wood, and glass. Whatever solution you choose, you need to ensure that they are installed securely and are able to safely hold the weight of your products.

If you use glass shelves ensure they are made from toughened glass, which is significantly stronger than tempered or standard glass.  This is especially important for uses such as suspended or floating shelves.

If you want to colour match your shelves to your store counters, slat wall and gondolas then choose melamine shelves.  These can be custom-made in a choice of over 500 colours to the exact size you need.

How to choose the best shelves for you

Choosing the right shelves is an important part of fitting out your retail space. But with all the options out there, how do you know you are selecting the perfect ones?

The best way to choose the right shelves is to ask yourself a few questions. These questions will help you determine your exact needs and what to look for in your display solution.

How much space do you have to work with?

The best shelves for your retail store will optimise the space you have and not crowd your store or overwhelm your customer. It’s important when planning your layout to allow for people to move freely around your space and create a welcoming environment. If your store is crammed with shelves and merchandise, it won’t be visually appealing to customers and you won’t be effectively displaying your products.

Measure your space, plot out where you want the shelves, displays and counters to be placed. Get a feel for the layout from a customer’s perspective. This is the best way to create an effective retail space.  

What type of products do you have?

After looking at the space you’re working with, consider the types of products you have. Is it mostly clothing and apparel? Or do you have tools and hardware products? There is an almost endless range of products that retail shops can stock, so carefully consider what you have and what products you’re planning to sell in the future to better inform your shelf choice.

What size and dimensions are your products?

If you stock large or bulky items, you’ll likely need larger, stable shelves to accommodate those products. If your items are small and light, you could invest in floating or suspended shelves. Measure and weigh your products and then match these up to the dimensions of your shelves.

If you are based in Brisbane, you can visit our showroom in Eagle Farm to see and test out our shelving display solutions.

Will you want to change up your displays in the future?

Having a versatile display solution allows you to rotate your merchandise, change your products, and reconfigure your displays when it suits you. Think about this when selecting your shelves, as some styles don’t allow for reconfiguration or redesigning.

A slatwall solution is a great option for those looking for versatility. The slatwall panels are attached to the wall and then different shelves and display accessories can be slotted into the groove cut-outs in the panels. That way you can move, reorder or change up the display method whenever it suits you.

At Advanced Display Systems (ADS), we have specialty retail display solutions and high-quality shelving options to suit any and all retail environments. You can take a look at our options online or visit our showroom to see our wide range of products in action.

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