Key Takeaways
- Maximize profits by placing high-margin products on eye-level shelves and in high-traffic areas.
- Analyze sales data and customer behavior to create a data-driven planogram that boosts efficiency.
- Improve the shopping experience by designing logical product layouts that prioritize customer convenience.
- Experiment with visual merchandising techniques to create eye-catching displays that spark customer interest.
Creating an effective planogram is an art that combines analytics, marketing and merchandising strategy.
A well-designed planogram not only improves the shopping experience, but also increases sales, optimizes the use of retail space, and helps automate checkout management processes.
Principles of Creating a Planogram in the Store
1. Understanding Customer Needs
The first and most important step is to study your target audience. Understanding customer behavior, preferences and needs helps you create a planogram that is convenient and efficient. Analyze:
- Sales data for different product categories;
- Frequency and seasonality of purchases;
- Customer feedback;
- Visitor behavior on the sales floor (e.g., using traffic heat maps).
2. Using Analytics and Sales Data
Data is a key factor in creating a successful planogram. Modern technology allows you to analyze demand, average receipt, merchandise turnover rate and other important metrics.
How to do it effectively?
- Identify the most popular products and place them in key points of sale.
- Study sales dynamics by category and adjust product placement.
3. Prioritize Profitable Products
When designing your planogram, it is important to emphasize goods with high margins and popularity. Place them on the golden shelves – eye and arm’s length level and in high traffic areas. This will maximize visibility and encourage impulse purchases.
4. Logical Navigation and Shopper Convenience
Shoppers should find it easy to navigate the store and find the products they want. Place goods so that the logic of the layout is clear:
- Related products should be placed next to each other (tea with confectionery, pasta with sauces, etc.).
- It is important to avoid harmful juxtaposition (e.g. coffee should not be placed next to spices because of the possible mixing of flavors).
- Use clear and easy-to-understand category labels.
5. Take Into Account the Characteristics of the Goods
Size, weight, and packaging all affect product placement:
- Heavy and bulky products are best placed on lower shelves.
- Fragile goods – at a medium height to avoid damage.
- Lightweight and attractive goods – at eye level.
6. Use of Visual Merchandising
Attractive layout is a powerful tool to increase sales. It is important to consider:
- Color combinations of merchandise;
- Lighting of the sales area;
- Use of promotional materials and POS materials.
7. Flexibility and Adaptation to Changes
The market and customer preferences are constantly changing, so it is important to update the planogram regularly.
8. Staff Training
Quality realization of the planogram is possible only with competent work of the staff. The planogram should be understandable for the staff, and the staff should be trained in its correct implementation.
9. Control Over the Compliance of Layout with the Planogram
It is important to monitor how much the actual lay-out in the store corresponds to the planned one. Automated systems allow you to control the fulfillment of tasks and provide a complete audit of layout.
10. Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Planogram
By analyzing the impact of the planogram on sales, you can determine what changes are needed to improve profits. Use:
- ABC analysis;
- Hot and cold zone analysis;
- Reporting on layout and product placement efficiency.
Planogram Automation with PlanoHero
Automated systems can greatly simplify the planogramming process and improve the accuracy and speed of implementing changes. PlanoHero https://planohero.com/en/ offers:
- Data upload from retailers’ accounting systems;
- Automated creation of sales-based layouts;
- Optimization of shelf space based on product characteristics;
- Monitoring of task fulfillment and control of planogram efficiency.
Creating a planogram is a process that requires a detailed approach, data analysis and implementation of modern technologies. Using automated solutions can not only reduce time and resources, but also increase sales through more accurate and efficient product display.
Invest in competent space planning and automation and your store will become even more profitable and convenient for customers!


