Ever wonder how a retailer decides where to put items on shelves in their store? What’s their magic formula for who gets the bottom shelf vs. prime real estate?
First and foremost, a storekeeper evaluates which product will display best and most attractively at eye level. Will it stand out there?
This is the very best position to have for your product, but it’s hard to establish your right to occupy that prominent shelf place. At the end of the day, the product that gets the eye-level placement is the product that the retailer thinks has the most “shelf appeal” and will sell the most — making them the most money.
To get eye-level placement, start out with the end in mind. Command the center position. Think ‘eye-level’ when you are designing your packaging/labeling initially, or from the “geck-go,” as we like to say. Does your product have enough ‘white space’ or ‘air’ around the logo to look commanding with products that stack to the left and right of it? Will the product break if it’s within a child’s reach? Does your custom label state clearly what your product is instead of using clever language, making the customer have to think or guess about what’s inside?
Plan to get that ‘center square’ by thinking of every eventuality. And count on us to print your custom labels to make the most of your odds — give us a call to get started!
Consider coming out with a variation on a theme – so that the retailer puts all three, say, cake mixes or cookie types, onto the upper and lower shelves surrounding your main product. Multiples of something from one manufacturer make quite an impression!
Overall advice? Be ‘shelf-ish!’ Think about how your product will look front and center in a store aisle and plan to occupy that space!
