It is the hidden 3D image inside a bunch of colored dots. It is part paint by numbers and part Bob Ross. It is part retail science and part retail magic. The latter is an item the consumer sees without realizing what they are seeing.
But when you think about it, there are several things the consumer actually sees after a program is executed: product, pricing, packaging, signage, and planogram. For this reason, planogram creation is often a rushed process as timelines get compressed in the very valid interest of ensuring manufacturing lead times, order dates, fixture/signage creation, packaging creation and approval, reset availability, and many other items impacting one’s ability to roll out a program. When creating a retail program, the planogram is often one of the last milestones along the way. This led to creating retail space around consumer behaviors and needs, directly impacting sales and margins while improving the customer experience. It was discovered that shelf utilization, product placement, and visual appeal of a layout impacts consumer behavior.
The increased adoption of planograms has had a significant impact on this.
This approach at times did not integrate the consumer and how their experience impacts sales, positively or negatively. In the not-so-distant past, store layouts were often designed from an operational perspective, with a focus on business efficiency and space management.