Efficient store floor operation is a considerable added value, but it is not always easy to achieve. In addition to the standard solutions to help manage time and human resources, there are many ways to improve store operations. We have selected the most effective ways that will affect your sales shelves or other store furniture, without unnecessary revolutions of the business structure.
1. Product Slide Over – Sales shelves as Store Operations Assistants
Pushers, slides, gravity shelves – anywhere the product pushes itself.
Any solution that moves products to the edge of the shelf does two things. It relieves staff of the need to push products to the edge of the shelf when they are hidden and less visible, thus reducing the chance of product rotation. It also ensures that such situations are potentially avoided, which has an impact on sales and relationships with retail partners. Regardless of the type of product, a sales shelves should make work and display easier and take care of the store’s image.
2. Pull-out shelves – cigarette dispenser to improve sales
Easier counting and replenishing of tobacco products.
Certain product categories are subject to frequent counting and replenishment, e.g., in the cigarette dispenser area. The tobacco dispenser, with its sliding and tilting shelves, significantly speeds up the counting and restocking process. Such a piece of shop furniture can hold several hundred packs, divided into dozens of categories. The cigarette dispenser significantly facilitates work, which is not easy when the customer is behind the cash desk.
3. Product packaging – a great path from shop furniture to customer’s bags
Faster packaging means less checkout downtime.
Let’s stay in the checkout area, with a solution that has not yet been implemented. Improving the flow of customers, i.e. making purchases and payments faster, is key to the success of any shop. Sales shelves or other shop furniture and the use of their potential is the first, basic step. Then, when going to the checkout, we want to pay as quickly as possible and collect our goods. So why not speed up the packing? Movable partition divides the packing area between two customers, but let’s go one step further. Let’s move the shopping bags out of the checkout and place them in a way that they can be easily opened. Customer must only give the person behind the cash register only the number of taken bags and add them to the bill without scanning.
4. Price tags – well-labelled sales shelves
Electronic price tag and portable price tag printer.
Let’s return to the sales area, and more specifically to the product value markings, or price tags. Here we see two simple solutions that can be implemented. Sales shelves with electronic price tags are increasingly common in new shops. We can say that this is a trend that is gaining in popularity. Undoubtedly, it is an expensive change, but it is worth looking into the future. The money invested will pay off on many levels. Beginning with procurement issues and ending with increased time for shop employees.
Portable price tags printer can be another solution to improve workflow. Often, when a price tag is missing, the shop staff must read the product code and then return to the backroom to print the price. Why not combine the code reader that staff carry with them with a label printer? You can then save a lot of time and mistakes, because the operation is done entirely at the shelf and product. The sales shelves can be directly operated by the employee concerned, without the need to move around the shop or the backroom.
5. Shop space – Shop furniture in optimal arrangement
More space in the shop goes hand in hand with order, and the result is faster customer service.
The main character of this section are sales shelves. Very often there is not enough space for products on them or adding new items is simply difficult. In such situation, it is worth considering extending the sales area. Shop furniture, even small ones, can make your staff’s work and product schedules much more efficient. How can this be done in any shop? Of course, space is limited, but we can make use of several unused areas. The first example is the area above the pallets. An over-palletiser could be the solution. In addition, if we take some products off the aisles or tops, we improve communication in the shop, not only for customers but also for staff. No more jammed pallets and waiting for a passage. We gain freedom of action and time to devote to other activities.
6. Approval of self-service purchases
If the customer can approve the purchase of spirits at the self-service checkout, it will save the staff time.
Let us return to the checkout area, but this solution is for the self-service counters. Their use is already becoming standard, but there is still much to improve and change. An example would be individual customer age authentication. An application with a loyalty programme or another element confirming the age of the shopper is enough. As a result, the shop assistant does not have to deal with this type of intervention, which usually boils down to swiping the card and clicking on the screen.
7. Stocking – sale shelves under control
The image of staff squeezing through a shop with a pallet of products is familiar to anyone. This method of delivery takes more time and blocks part of the shop.
The processes involved in lining up products are a key element in the efficiency and performance of any shop. Very often, however, it happens that dragging a pallet into an aisle blocks traffic, makes it difficult for customers to access products or prevents passage. The solution to this problem can be special trolleys, which thanks to their four turnable wheels, allow you to get to any place. Only the products you want to place on the shelf can be loaded onto them. Sales shelves will be filled quickly and efficiently, without having to drag entire pallets around. You gain time and space, and customer gest peace of mind.
Autonomous trolleys are also available. They can operate in worker tracking mode, or in full autonomy, where they will drive themselves to pick up products in the warehouse or drop off wastepaper. In addition, they have a lift that keeps the products at the right height for the worker. All customised to assist employees and fill up shop furniture.
8. Wastepaper – shop furniture without unnecessary waste.
Wastepaper collection can be more efficient if there is a pre-compacting press in the collection trolley.
The collection of wastepaper is usually carried out with high trolleys on four swivel castors. Shop shelves are filled only with products or full cartons. Thanks to these transporters, the waste is transported to a suitable location. This process can be improved by adding a small press to the construction of the trolley. This way, the wastepaper from the shop’s furniture is crumpled up on arrival at the conveyor. This increases the volume and makes it much easier to dispose of the waste in this form.
See also: Show your shop shelves – 10 ways to make your product stand out
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