The Benefits of Periodically Rearranging Your Store

Grocery stores are notorious for rearranging their shelving and product placement. There are a lot of reasons to do this, some pertaining to the overwhelming number of items they carry and constantly changing levels of stock. There are also benefits unrelated to strict utility, grocers have found that these shifts in layout boost sales and provide them with actionable information on consumer trends. Small retailers are by and large, more reluctant to reorganize this way, but they can benefit from this process as well.  

In this post, we will look at some specific benefits of periodically rearranging your store and a few organizational tools, like gondola shelving, that mitigate the difficulty and cost of the process.

You will know where your customers are going

Rearranging your store will give you a better picture of the factors governing customer movement. Take notice of how repeat customers navigate the new layout, do they take a path similar to what they’ve done in the past? Are certain products getting increased or decreased traffic? Grocery stores like to position “staple” items near the back of their stores or aisles, they know that these popular items will have more resiliency than others which may benefit more from a premier location.

Product Salience

This process also gives you the opportunity to test the value of unproductive items, give these items prominent locations, if customers continue to ignore them, perhaps it’s time to eliminate them. If they see a boost in sales you’ll know that it was the placement, not the product that was suppressing sales. 

Keep Things Fresh

You have the opportunity to reinvent your store and reinvigorate your customers. Returning customers like to see that you are switching things up, because it’s an indication of the care and thought that you put into a business that matters to them. Studies show that after rearranging your store, sales get an immediate boost. There are obviously several factors that contribute to this but I believe novelty is an important piece of the puzzle.

what works? What doesn’t

Your first attempt at changing things up may not work perfectly, however, if you are constantly changing your layout and trying new things, you are going to discover what works best for your employees and customers. Make sure to ask your staff how they feel about your layout, they spend their days in this environment and more than likely have real insight into how it could be improved.

Finally,

Certain shelving systems lend themselves to this process. Configurable systems like slatwall make the process extremely quick and easy. Gondola shelving is a great option, most gondolas are relatively easy to move physically and have independently movable shelves. Lightweight, freestanding wire displays are also exceedingly easy to move, these smaller elements are a great way to change the feel of your store even if some of the larger cases and tables remain in the same places.

Small businesses can be reluctant to use their valuable time to rearrange a store, but there are notable benefits to making it part of your plan. Reconfiguration reveals information on your products and customers and provides an impetuous for featuring items that may have untapped potential.