Field sales & merchandising / Shelf
Plan shelf facings
See how many products fit across a shelf and in the display.
Store visit plan
Shelf plan
Enter shelf width millimetres.
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What it covers: Measure facings and display capacity for one product.
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How to work out how many facings fit on a shelf
A facing is one product showing at the front of the shelf. Knowing how many facings fit, and how many units the space holds, helps you plan displays and orders. This planner uses the clear shelf width, product width, gap, shelf rows and depth to work out facings and display capacity for one product.
- Measure the clear shelf width in millimetres. Measure the space the product can actually use, between uprights, dividers or anything else in the way.
- Measure the packed product width in millimetres, including any tray it sits in.
- Enter the gap between facings. This is the finger space or divider width between products.
- Enter the shelf rows the product will sit on and how many products fit deep, front to back.
- Read the total facings, the facings per row, the display capacity and the width left per row. If the planner says the product does not fit, check your measurements or choose a different space.
Tips and common mistakes
- Measure the product the way it will sit on the shelf. A product turned sideways or in a tray has a different width.
- Do not forget the gap. Leaving it out can add a facing on paper that will not fit on the shelf.
- Check depth with the real product. Shelf edges, back lips and price strips can stop the last unit fitting.
- Use display capacity with your sales figures, so the shelf holds enough to last between visits without overfilling.
Questions
How do you calculate shelf facings?
Add the gap to the clear shelf width and to the product width, divide the first by the second and round down. The gap is added to the shelf width because it only sits between facings, not after the last one. As an illustration, a 900 mm shelf with 70 mm products and a 5 mm gap fits 12 facings. Multiply by rows and depth for the total capacity.
What is a facing in merchandising?
A facing is one unit of a product showing at the front of the shelf, facing the shopper. More facings make a product easier to see and hold more stock on display. Facings are usually agreed with the store or set out in a shelf plan.
How many units can a shelf hold?
Multiply the facings by the number of shelf rows and by how many products fit deep. That gives the display capacity for one product. Check it on the real shelf, as fixtures and packaging can reduce it.
Should I measure shelf width in millimetres or centimetres?
The planner uses millimetres, because a few millimetres can decide whether one more facing fits. If you measured in centimetres, multiply by 10.
Why does the planner say the product does not fit?
The product width is more than the clear shelf width, so not even one facing fits. The gap makes no difference to a single facing, as it only sits between facings. Check you used the clear width and the packed product width, then measure again.
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