Influence Of Shelf Positions on Consumer Purchasing Choices

Tomas Malling
4 min readDec 19, 2022

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Consider the following scenario: Your consumer enters a supermarket to purchase toiletries. As they survey the eye-level shelf, an appealing bottle of shampoo captures their attention. There’s also the popular hair serum they’ve been looking for! And their buying experience has just become a whole lot better! They wind up purchasing more than what was on their shopping list.

What if your shop fitting shelving and retail shelving display maker informed you that the product arrangement and shelf location influenced their purchase decision? Isn’t it intriguing?

The Art of Shelf Allocation and Space Allocation

The retail atmosphere has a far greater effect on buyers than we realise. A recent survey found that 79 percent of shoppers favoured the notion of shelf layout and an organised atmosphere when shopping. 68 percent shop according to their lists, but they also pay attention to everything else on the shelves.

Furthermore, the present customer generation is less brand loyal than the preceding generation. They have a plenty of options, which necessitates better product positioning and shelf organisation. Retailers are continually looking for new methods and marketing tools to boost customer retention as consumer purchasing habits change.

What Does Shoppers Think About Placement of shop fitting shelving and retail shelving display?

Shop fitting shelving placement in today’s retail environment is not a game of chance. A great deal of effort is put into acquiring scientific information concerning the ordinary shopper’s behaviour. According to the study, we currently know the following three facts:

  • Shoppers gaze to eye-level shelves first.
  • Their attention moves from the shelf’s left to right.
  • They make a buy in less than eight seconds.

Retailers have devised five sorts of product placement strategies in order to determine the best location for items and increase sales.

  • Placement in which all comparable things are grouped on the same shelf.
  • Vertical placement refers to the placement of merchandise on more than one shelf level.
  • Commercial placement in which high-value products are prominently exhibited.
  • Margin Product Placement is when an item that creates greater profit is prominently displayed.
  • Market Share Placement is the placement of high-income producers in areas where consumers may readily locate them.

The ordinary purchaser is blissfully unaware of these words. What a customer sees on the retail shelving display is a complicated array of financial risks and benefits. Shelf placement is little more than telling where the product is for them. However, substantial empirical data supports the assumption that shelf location influences purchasing choices.

Shelf positions are classified into three types:

  • Shelves at eye level
  • Waist-height shelves (top shelves)
  • Shelves at knee height (bottom shelves)

The Prime Space, often known as “The Bulls-Eye Zone,” is the eye-level shelf. According to research, customers browse in the same manner they read — at eye level, horizontally from left to right. As a result, the bulls-eye zone is reserved for businesses that use product awareness to promote sales. This shelf arrangement is especially popular since it makes it easier to locate stuff. Products shown here are readily identified and bought.

So, the eye-level shelf is the star, and it takes centre stage. But what about the upper and lower shelves? Retailers limit top shelf space for:

  • Brand new products
  • New merchandise
  • Products that are yet to become popularity
  • Products that lack financial tenacity

The bottom shelves will house large, well-known, slow-moving products that customers are willing to reach for. Furthermore, bottom shelves are perfect for exhibiting children’s things so that they may simply choose what they want.

In the end, the middle shelf is the most sought place for both the seller and the buyer. However, with a rotating selection of items, the top and bottom shelves may also hold their own for the intrepid shopper.

3 Must-Implement Store Product Placement Strategies

As this article comes to a close, we hope that we have appropriately emphasised the significance of shelf placement in your retail business. Consider the following tried-and-true strategies for improving shelf positioning and sales:

Take note of the package.

Consumers are mostly drawn in by clever packaging designs. Consider package designs that represent the personality of the brand.

Consider the size.

The size of the box also predicts the success of the product. Take note of how different-sized items are arranged on shelves.

Develop in-store experiences

Create in-store experiences by encouraging consumers to try out things in-store. This will allow customers to make more informed purchase choices and promote product marketing via word of mouth.

Final Thoughts

The retail industry, like the real estate industry, is driven by location and placement. As a result, shops should prioritise layout to provide a great shopping experience for customers. Shelf location, on the other hand, is an important part of shop design since it influences customers’ purchasing choices.

Space allocation and shelf placement reveal a lot about how well you understand your clients. That is the key to your success in the retail industry!

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Tomas Malling
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Myself Tomas and I’m part of the Planova. Planova was founded in 1964 as a supplier to businesses in Denmark and global specialists in shop fittings & shelving.