The right store fixtures and merchandising plan ensure customers can easily find what they're looking for, including items they didn't realize they needed until they spotted them. The foundation of a retail store that displays and sells a lot of consumer packaged goods is its gondola shelving.
What is Gondola Shelving?
Gondola shelving is one of the most durable and easily customizable shelving available. A gondola shelving system has a solid metal base and uses cantilevered shelves that extend from one or both sides of a sturdy metal back.
This type of shelving has the capacity to hold several hundred pounds. For instance, a gondola shelf has a weight capacity of up to 500 lbs. And if need be, they can be specially ordered to hold more weight. The shelves are easily adjustable and the units can be relocated throughout the store.
Gondola shelving systems come in a variety of colors and are all around versatile as they serve a myriad of retail functions. Not only are they multi-functional, they are reasonably affordable. Every retailer should seriously consider this type of shelving unit for their merchandising environment.
The Three Basic Types Gondola Shelving
There are three main types of gondola shelving that are designed for specific applications in your retail store: wall gondola, island gondola, and end cap gondola.
Wall Gondola
A wall gondola can be a single unit or a line of several units fastened together and arranged flush against the wall. The unit can have traditional metal backing with horizontal grooves for shelves, pegboard for hooks or slatwall which can hold hooks and shelves.
The base is a solid foundation and the backing is anchored into the wall for support. Wall gondolas are very durable and a great retail room saver.
Island Gondola
Island Gondola is a two-sided shelving unit that can grab the attention of your customers by being strategically placed throughout your retail space and merchandised with highly desired items. These high capacity units give you the ability to optimize available floor space.
Retailers can maximize the strength of an island by adding endcaps to create a continual visual stream all the way around the gondola.
End Cap Gondola
End caps are stand-alone units which isolate products at the point-of-sale. Space is always a concern in any retail environment and end caps can heighten customer awareness by standing out on drive aisles. Utilizing these gondolas are the best way to maximize you retail real estate.
They are excellent for increasing basket size through impulse products, specialty items, sales, new items and grab-and-go wares.
Typical Gondola Shelf Types
Shelving is a commodity that the world of retail cannot live without and to that end, the choices are plentiful. Selecting the style and size of shelves is dependent on the products you sell, the packaging they come in and the amount of back stock you will keep on hand.
Depending on your retail situation, some of the above shelving options are better than others. Spending a little extra can go a long way in the end.
Gondola Shelves
These particular shelves are the strongest and most reliable type of shelves for the retail industry. Gondola shelves insert into the section uprite standards and offer a very stable and reliable surface for displaying product. They are made to endure several hundred pounds and can last for many years with the proper care. They are available in standard 3' and 4' wide and sizes from 10" to 25" deep. A gondola shelf is the undisputed champ for retail holding power.
Wire Shelves
Wire shelving is a good option when the product to be displayed is packaged in pliable, bagged materials like snacks and chips. Typically the units come with round poles, a satisfyingly sturdy wire mesh which allow the package not to slide and fall over. They are often used for under-counter candy shelves in convenience stores where debris and dust can fall on top of product. The wire shelf allows for this unwanted stuff to fall down to the floor. Other advantages of wire shelving is they are very strong and don't require much cleaning.
Slatwall Shelves
latwall shelves utilize a malamine shelf in a variety of widths for merchandising flexibility. They are secured by either detached brackets or ones attached to the back of the shelf. The brackets insert into the slat for support and can easily be changed with little effort. The one drawback of slatwall shelves is that they are limited on load capacity. Many brands of slatwall board are made of medium density fiberboard (MDF) and can break if to much weight is placed on the shelf.
Gravity Fed Shelving
This type of shelving is where the product is grouped together in a channel and gravity keeps the items pushed to the front of the shelves. To stock the shelves, the retailer simply needs to continually replenish the same type of product towards the back of the shelf. These types of shelves are great for liquid product in bottles like soda, juice, beer, motor oil and others. These are often made of wire design to allow for smooth flow and low maintenance.
Gondola Shelving Colors & Styles
Color matters in a retail store…a lot! When it comes to sales, color is more than about looking pretty. Consider these statistics:
● 73% of purchasing decisions are made in-store.
● Potential customers make a subconscious judgement within 90 seconds of entering a store.
● 62%-90% of first impressions are based on color.
● 52% of shoppers won't return to a store if they don't like the aesthetics.
● 93% of purchasing decisions are based on visual appearance.
● Color advertisements are read 42% more than black and white.
Gondola shelving plays a critical role in creating an effective retail space by being the "foundation" of your merchandising presentation. Gondola serves as a visual anchor which your products are viewed against. Practically speaking, all packaging and labeling are designed to grab immediate attention at the point of sale. Gondola shelving is the backdrop which creates the contrast and makes them stand out.
This is the reason that the basic solid colors of beige, black and gray are so popular, and effective, in many different types of store environments. They are the base color which all packaging looks best.
Think of the cereal aisle at your local supermarket. Bright colors are prominent on every box. There is a significant difference when these boxes are set on black or beige shelves. The contrast of shelving color plays a critical role with the first impression and visual apprance that motivates customers to purchase.
So take time to consider the products you will be displaying and the foundation color of you gondola shelving. It is an important decision.
The Gondola Color Pallet
As discussed above, your store's color pallet is a highly important cosmetic feature that has the ability to entice customers. Gondola Shelving is available in several colors and textures. The most popular colors are the earth tones such as Platinum Beige, Charcoal Black and Silver Grey. These serve as the base and it is to the base that you add accent colors. Adding a bright sign brings a "pop" to your display and engages the customer's first by visual means and then to your product.
Popular Gondola Shelving Colors
Platinum Beige
Silver Gray
Charcoal Black
Backing board – Pegboard vs Solid board vs Slatwall
Using backing board, such as pegboard or slatwall, are beneficial retailing tools as they lend themselves the opportunity to be creative with retail spaces. However, it is important to note that there are some significant differences between the two. First and foremost, pegboard is the less expensive option if seeking board/wall type displays and it has more hanging options per square inch than slatwall. Slatwall is sturdier and you can use more that pegs and hooks to hang or display your merchandise.
The name "peg-board" is an expired trademark and used as a generic term to describe a storage hardboard with holes meant for pegs or hooks to act as support for any number of items. Peg board can be made of several materials. There is the standard perforated hardboard made of wood fibers and then treated with resin and oils for strength, however it doesn't stand up to age, moisture or a lot of weight.
Perforated wood is another type of material used for peg-board. This particular type, often chemically treated for strength, is susceptible to warping and splintering under heavy loads yet is more visually appealing than the standard hardboard.
Finally, there is the option of metal pegboards which are usually made out of steel strips – smaller than the standard pegboard. The greatest difficulty with this version is the actual mounting of the board and when displaying items, it is suggested that the heavier items go in areas in front of the mounting brackets so as not to pull the board away from its mount.
