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 Gondola
Shelving Demystified
By Adam Jones
Part 1: The Layout
For decades, gondola shelving has provided storeowners
of all types with durable, affordable and versatile display
options. Gondola systems have the ability to fit into almost
any retail scenario regardless of merchandise or customer
demographic and are available in a myriad of materials,
finishes, sizes etc. As a result, selecting the right gondola
system can be overwhelming. Over the course of the next
few months, we will be highlighting the fundamentals of
putting together a gondola system that maximizes the potential
of your store, fits into your budget, and keeps your customers
coming back.
Determining a layout is the first step toward making a
gondola system work well for your store. The decision to
use gondolas vs. slatwall, grid, wood shelving or custom
fixtures depends a great deal on what you are selling, who
you are selling to and the limitations of your budget. A
good rule of thumb is the greater the volume of product,
the more gondola shelving you should use. That’s why
you see gondola systems used heavily in convenience stores,
supermarkets, dollar stores, etc., as these retail situations
often require the simultaneous display and storage of many
items on the same shelf.
Next consider the height of your gondolas. Obviously, the
taller the gondola system, the more space you can use to
merchandise. Height does have its disadvantages however
since taller gondolas decrease customer visibility and lead
to a greater theft risk. Taller shelving also requires more
customer assistance for issues like hard-to-reach items,
which can divert time from both you and your employees.
By taking the time to consider such key elements as the
volume of your merchandise and available manpower it will
be easier to decide on a height configuration that fits
your store.
The last layout aspect we will discuss is shelf depth.
As in considering gondola height, the shelf depth of your
gondolas has a lot to do with how much you’re going
to be able to merchandise. The overall size of your retail
space also comes into question at this point, because the
deeper your base shelves, the less room you have for aisles.
Aisle depth is an important factor in store design as it
affects everything from the traffic flow in your store to
your ability to abide by local laws for customers with disabilities.
Typical aisle space ranges from 48” to 72” and
has much to do with balancing your customer’s comfort
level with the demands of your inventory presentation.
Finally, we suggest that a good starting point for any
gondola layout is an overhead drawing as well as an elevation
of the setup you’re looking for. Whether it’s
as sophisticated as a CAD drawing or as simple as a sketch
on a napkin, using a visual representation of what you’re
trying to accomplish is the best way to avoid the creation
of a poorly designed retail space.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of a gondola layout,
it’s time to delve into the selection of the units
themselves. All this and more will be covered next month
in Gondola Shelving Demystified Part 2: The Units. Until
then take care, and happy retailing!
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