Before you start organizing your shelf layouts for Black Friday, ask yourself: Is your store truly ready for the surge of deal-hungry shoppers? A well-planned shelf layout can be the difference between smooth sales and missed opportunities.

For example, last Black Friday, a grocery retailer placed all popular baking essentials like flour, sugar, and cake mixes on a single narrow shelf. Within the first hour, the area became crowded, products were hard to reach, and shelves emptied faster than staff could restock. Shoppers grew frustrated, and many walked away without buying everything on their list. The issue was not the product, it was the unorganized shelf layout. Thoughtful shelf planning ensures your best-selling items stay visible, accessible, and easy to restock during the rush. Let us look at how you can prepare your shelves to handle Black Friday crowds and maximize every sales opportunity using planogram services.

1. Start with a traffic flow strategy.

On Black Friday, foot traffic surges and poorly planned aisles quickly become bottlenecks. Start by mapping out your expected shopper flow using heatmaps, past data, and high-interest product zones.

• Widen aisles in high-traffic sections.
• Position popular items away from entrances to avoid congestion.
• Use clear directional signage to guide shoppers smoothly.

2. Create a high-impact entrance area:

The entrance sets the tone. A clutter-free, visually striking entry display can boost shopper excitement while preventing crowding.

• Feature your biggest deals in a clear, bold display.
• Add bold signage with quick-sale highlights.
• Use a decompression zone so shoppers can orient themselves before moving in.

3. Use planograms to optimize product placement.

Planograms are essential during Black Friday when every inch of shelf space matters. They help you create visually organized displays, place fast-moving products in accessible spots, and maintain consistency across store staff.

• Highlight high-demand items at eye level.
• Allocate more space to popular categories.
• Ensure shelves stay stocked and easy to replenish.
• Support cross-merchandising for impulse purchases.

4. Design dedicated deal zones:

Black Friday shoppers come in search of quick bargains. Make it easy for them by designing specific spaces for your best deals.

• ‘Doorbuster’ displays near the front.
• Limited-time offer racks.
• Price-drop islands in high-traffic areas.
• Grab-and-go boxes for smaller items.

These zones help reduce chaos by clearly segmenting high-interest products.

5. Separate fast-moving and slow-moving items.

Place fast-moving, high-demand items in easily accessible spots to reduce congestion. Meanwhile, position slower-moving or niche items in quieter areas to distribute traffic evenly. This strategy helps avoid frustration and encourages browsing beyond the core deals.

• Use clear signage to direct shoppers toward high-demand sections.
• Place bulky or large items in open spaces to allow easier movement and prevent aisle blockage.
• Highlight slower-moving products with small, themed displays in calm areas to capture interest.

Overview of Nexgen Planogram Services

Nexgen offers store-specific planogram services for clients that optimize sales and achieve category objectives. We create customized planograms for your business to ensure that these are better aligned with your goals and merchandising strategies. Our expertise in planogram automation helps us build planograms faster, better and consistently. Whether it is creating a planogram from scratch, or a typical reset, we have the knowledge, tools, and experience to get the job done for you.

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