All About Us!

Shelving4Shops was born under the supervision of parent company Shoptek UK Ltd. Shoptek are one of the leaders of the market, in the sourcing and reselling of supermarket shelving and shop equipment. 

Shelving4Shops goal was to provide a high quality, suitable and affordable alternative when used shelving was not available, giving our customers options when it came to fitting out their shops. We have over 15 years of experience within the retail shelving sector, which we use to give you the best service possible when you are dealing with us. Our team has a wealth of knowledge to help you build up, match or add to your current system. We also can offer advice on the best shelving for your particular retail area, advising on how best to utilise and maximise your display and space available. 

We have a vast network of contacts working on the ground within the world's major manufacturing centres. We are constantly on the lookout for new, stronger, more reliable and cheaper equipment, to update and expand our selection that we can offer our clients. We know that kitting out a shop with all the right equipment is an expensive business, so we try and source the most cost effective equipment to help you make your business work. We source as much used shelving as we can to give our customers the choice of helping the environment and reduce outgoings, recycling is great but can be expensive, so we try and do as much as we can to help you save money!

Light Up Your Products!

Two important studies, conducted in late 2013, looked into retail lighting and how it affected customer behaviour in stores. The first study examined the extent to which lighting influenced consumers' subjective preferences and looked at three areas - the window, the store and shelving displays.

With a window display, people preferred vertical lighting, which make products stand out more, and it was noted that the colour rendering was not such a factor here. When coming into the actual store though, brightness was not so much of an issue and instead it was evident that people preferred warm lighting and moderate brightness. At around 3,000k and 4,000k people are at the most comfortable and this comfort diminishes if the lighting goes above this. 

The study found that varying the lighting was also significant, for example, changing the colour of the lighting at certain times of the day or when a specific promotion was on. Smart design of the installation can encourage people to follow tracks around a store and you can use that to get people deep into your store. When it came to shelving displays, it was evident that people preferred more lighting here, as naturally they wanted good light to be able to see products clearly ahead of purchasing them. 

The second study used eye tracking technology to monitor people's instinctive reactions to different lighting schemes and where their eyes looked. The most significant finding was that people's eyes were drawn naturally to areas of contrast, where dark and light areas overlapped, rather than the most brightly lit areas. Another interesting conclusion to note was that people were drawn to products that were at head height, showing that anything above or below that is often overlooked. To draw more attention to these it's worth using dynamic lighting to change the brightness, or these products need raising to face height. 

When the findings were tested in a store in Hamburg, it was concluded that people's eyes were instinctively drawn to areas where the lighting was active and were more attracted to blue lighting, over any other colour. 

To put the findings to good use, it's worth thinking about the colours and the brightness used in your store. For example, use lighting to draw people towards your shelving and think about using active or blue lighting to highlight unloved areas of your shop.

Realistic Refridgeration!

In the summer months, it is especially important to make sure your choice of chiller does exactly what you want it to do, and sometimes this is several things at once.

Serve over counters are great for displaying goods that require careful display whilst keeping them at a steady, cool temperature. These refrigerated units are perfect for creating a beautiful display of products that customers can easily view and choose, whilst giving you easy access and the assurance that the products are kept fresh and refrigerated. 

Dairy cabinets give good surface area for display whilst maintaining the specific temperature to keep goods fresh and properly refrigerated. This is especially important to keep the optimal shelf life of products. 

Display freezers are ideal for presenting your frozen produce in the most attractive manner possible and encouraging those impulse buys. Summer is an ideal time to make the most of grabbing people's attention and displaying those ice creams! Choose a display freezer based on your store space and layout, and on the products you are planning to display. Chest freezers have the option of baskets to offer easy-to-grab impulse buy ice creams, upright freezers give shelves with the potential to create bright, eye catching displays. 

Bottle fridges are (as the name implies) specific to displaying drinks. They create a neat, tidy way to store bottles and keep them refrigerated, giving either customers or bar staff easy access to drinks kept at a constant, cool temperature. 

Multi-deck chillers give you the option of using height to display your produce at constant refrigeration, maximising the use of space in your store. They are the cost-effective way to display large amounts of chilled goods, with great viewing potential and easy access for both staff and customer. 

Whatever you need your chiller to do, we have a huge range of both used and new units here at Shelving4Shops. For advice about which chiller you need, feel free to contact us on 01455 221512 for enquiries and information. 

Enticing Interiors!

These days with the digital market taking off and taking so much business, it's now more important than ever to make sure your shop entices customers in. Competition is fierce, so it's vital that the layout of your store makes the most of the customer's shopping experience. 

When designing the layout of your store, bear in mind that customers need direction around a store, it will help them navigate your products and give you the opportunity to make sure they view as much of your stock as possible. Creating aisles gives customers the most exposure to products and using our gondola shelving means you can create these aisles whilst maximising on the space you have available. 

There are various different layouts that you can use, below are two of the prime examples of layouts that create effective flows of traffic and give maximum exposure to products, whilst allowing customers to move freely from aisle to aisle. 

Race Track Layout

A racetrack layout consists of a main aisle that leads customers from the front area, around the whole store and then guides them lastly to the check out counter. It is designed for two way traffic that directs customers to what they are looking for.

Power Aisle Layout

The power aisle layout consists of a main aisle that runs the length of the store either from front to back or from corner to corner, allowing for departments to branch off the main aisles. It is set up to allow a flow of two way traffic with retail displays set up on both the floor and end units, letting you organise your merchandise to maximise accessibility to seasonal, special or sales items. 

Combining Your Shelves

The secret to a successful store is great customer service, attractive products and prices, and a unique store layout. Having a layout that’s just a little bit different can make a huge difference from your customers perspective, and it also gives them good reason to visit your store on a regular basis, knowing that they’ll be experiencing something different each time they visit. 

The key to a unique store layout doesn’t just involve having a layout that’s interesting from a customers perspective, it’s about combing a variety of heights and levels with a mixture of products that catch the customers eye, and in order to create variety, you need to combine your shelving. 

Although having sections for each type of product can help customer navigation, it can be a little mundane for the customer to browse through, especially if the layout doesn’t change on a regular basis. Combining a mixture of wall shelving with pegboards adds variety and substance to what can be a dull layout. If you find that you have a little extra room in the middle of an aisle or at the end of a shelving unit - dump bins, wire stacking baskets and shelves add a great depth to your store, as well as enhancing the customers journey entirely. 

Although it may make sense to keep your different types of shelving together, combining your shelves adds a great touch of contrast to your store. 

Visual Merchandising

Visual Merchandising is the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlets. It is a merchandising technique which effectively utilises the design of an environment by visual communications, lighting, colours and music to stimulate customers perceptual and emotional response, and ultimately to affect their purchase behaviour. According to research by Dunne and Lusch (2005), store environment is an important element in retailing given that 70% of purchase was an impulse buy or unplanned purchase. 

In terms of your store, the presentation and feel of the store plays a key factor regarding buying activity, so you could use themes to vary the feel of your store periodically. Tempting as it is, try not to limit your themes to the four seasonal ones, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, but instead try and think outside the box to implement some more original ideas. For example, you could use Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Halloween, making these work for you depending on your target audience. Practically, this means using good display equipment to create your displays with your promotional products showing in the best light they can. Adding a promotional gondola unit at the end of a bay or near a till point is a great way to get extra sales from customers. In particular, a promotional gondola unit placed at the front of a till point will encourage customers to purchase extra impulse buys as they capture the customer's attention while they are waiting to pay, a purchase that requires no effort to pick up.

Variation on your theme will keep your store looking fresh, with updated displays meaning customers will come back to your shop again and again for a new browsing experience each time. It is easy to use and Shelving4Shops wide range of display equipment can help create those displays that push for those extra purchases from customers. 

Make Those Aisles Work For You!

Aisles create direction in a store, they help a customer navigate round your shop, but they also do much more when used effectively. Aisles give the customers exposure to all your products, so with the right shelving you can display the maximum amount of products. It's well known that the more products people see, the more they buy. 

Following this train of thought, it’s definitely worth spending time planning your store layout and considering how you will order and display your products. There are a few points to take into consideration:

1) Breaking up natural spaces with product displays, for example the door to counter line. Putting a display here gives people an obstacle to negotiate, which means that they have to look at it and give it their attention. Another idea here is to use the queue area to promote products. You can even create the queue space by using our wire dump baskets to shift stock and get those last minute sales. 

2) Create aisles! They encourage movement and browsing and give customers a sense of direction, and most importantly, they give you the chance to display products! Aisles that have structure and are labelled make it easy for customers in a hurry to see exactly where the product they want will be. Our gondola units are perfect for creating aisles whilst maximising store space. You can customise these to meet whatever needs your store has. For example, we sell peg boards for more awkward products or wire baskets to contain lose items that don't sit well on shelves. 

3) Lastly, don't have dead ends! Customers will see these "traps" and will avoid them, leaving these aisles unbrowsed. Leaving the ends of aisles open draws customers into the shop and invites them to explore further. 

Stress Free Shelving

Shelving can be many things, but stressful shouldn’t be one of them. We strongly believe that shelving should be simple, efficient and easy, as well as being adaptable to your requirements. Here at Shelving4Shops, we pride ourselves on having a versatile range of shelving units for you to browse through and choose from. Our shelving units can accommodate a variety of store requirements, so you’ll be sure to find the shelving solution to suit you best. 

If you find that choosing the perfect shelving unit for you can be a bit daunting, then our friendly and experienced team will be happy to help. Just simply give us a call and we’ll do our best to find the perfect shelving requirement that suits you, your store and your customers. With over 15 years worth of experience within the retail shelving sector, we’ll be sure advise you on the most efficient and cost effective way to help organise your stores shelving. 

To search through our wide range of shelving units, you can visit our website www.shelving4shops.co.uk, or come and visit us at our Leicestershire showroom, where you can browse through a variety of new and used shelving units, giving you a better glimpse of your store’s potential.

New & Used Refrigeration

Every store across the UK requires shelving that’s good quality, in good condition and importantly, reliable. Whether it be small convenience stores, large supermarkets or retail outlets, most will also require the correct type of refrigeration. 

At Shelving4Shops we understand that sometimes it can be a little frustrating to source everything you need from just from one supplier, which is why we have teamed up with a trustworthy local refrigeration company whose speciality is in both new and used commercial refrigeration. They offer a large variety of refrigeration equipment for any kind of store, such as multi deck chillers, display freezers and bottle fridges to name a few. 

Arneg refrigeration is a name you can surely trust. Their sales team are highly experienced and fully qualified fridge and air conditioning engineers, who have a vast knowledge of the industry, and will work with you throughout the process to achieve exactly what is required. 

All of the used refrigeration units are of high quality and standards. They have been thoroughly cleaned and fully tested to their capabilities. Each unit comes with a 3 month warranty, giving you the confidence and peace of mind when buying used refrigeration. Second hand refrigeration is ideal if you’re on a tight budget and are looking to save a bit of money, however we also understand that it can be tricky to find exactly what you require, especially when compromise just isn’t an option. Hence why we also offer new commercial refrigeration such as air conditioning, display freezers, dairy cabinets, multi deck chillers and bottle fridges just to name a few. 

There are many important factors to consider when buying refrigeration for the first time, and all of these factors can be discussed with an experienced member of staff who will be happy to help with any enquiries. For more advice and information on refrigeration, or if you just need help planning your shop, please call Luis on 07787184992, or visit the website www.coldfreeze.co.uk 

Keep Clean!

You may have spent a lot of time and effort to ensure that your store is displaying merchandise perfectly, but the effort shouldn’t stop there. Keeping your shelves and units dust and dirt free also plays a major key role in maintaining a favourable customer reputation. 

It’s extremely easy to forget to keep your shelves clean and tidy. But neglecting them can have a detrimental effect on your store’s valued reputation, as well as your customer credibility. Keeping shelves dust free ensures shelves look presentable and customer friendly. Sleek looking shelves allows customers to easily approach them and shop for a product, without being totally disgusted by the uncleanliness of the shelf that the product sits on. Having a filthy shelf also gives off the impression of unprofessionalism in the store as well as the company, and that can quickly establish a negative reputation amongst the store’s potential and existing customers. It also implies the product is unpopular as the assumption is that a product which is selling well wouldn’t have time to let dust build up on the shelf.

Remember that Health and Safety can either make or break a store. If a customer was to report poor standards to Health and Safety, then the chances are it will become publicly noted, and destroy what took years to build up a valued customer reputation. 

If you can put the time and effort into a store layout, you can surely find the time to do a quick dust down on the shelves and units. It almost counteracts the beautiful display you’ve put together if they end up filthy within a few weeks time. A few minutes every couple of days can ensure your shop stays reputable, as well as ensuring continuous customer loyalty, which is always a bonus. 

A Guide to Chillers and Refrigerated Shelving

Incorporating a chiller or freezer into your store shelving can allow you to diversify your stock and provide a space for fresh, refrigerated or frozen produce. More and more convenience and retail stores are adding refrigerated shelving to their shops to bring in extra customers and boost sales - will it work for you?

Before you choose a refrigerated shelving unit, there are a few things to consider:

Shelving Space: A chiller or freezer takes up a substantial amount of space in a store, and will need to be placed against a wall with easy access to an electrical socket. Make sure your refrigerated unit will fit with your other shelving units, or that you can adjust your shelving arrangement to accommodate it. (If you need help planning your shop shelving configuration, get in touch with us or pop into our shelving showroom!)

Positioning: Chillers are best placed at the back of your store so that the high number of customers who come into your shop to buy a drink or fresh produce will need to walk past a range of other products to do so - thus exposing them to a variety of spontaneous buys! As with any shelving, make sure your refrigerated unit does not make movement around the store difficult, or close up aisles or doorways. You will need enough space for a wheelchair or pushchair to pass by, and adequate manoeuvring space for you to restock and carry out maintenance on your machine.

Adjustable shelving: A useful aspect of a refrigerated shelving unit is the ability to adjust the shelves to accommodate different sized products according to your current stock. This makes restocking much easier and ensures you can maximise space. Cleaning is much simpler when you can remove each shelf individually, too.

Economic power: It's always best to go for the most economic machine you can afford. Not only is it better for the environment but it will save you money on electricity, as well! All the chillers and freezers at Shelving4Shops are energy efficient and highly rated.

Lighting: Another handy addition to any cooler or freezer is built-in lighting. Predominantly for chillers with doors, this feature allows for easy browsing and presents your products in a pleasant light. Chiller lighting should be fitted with LED bulbs which will last longer, produce less heat, and save on energy. If your chiller doesn't have in-built lighting, ensure that your store lighting adequately lights the products in your shelving unit.

Temperature: It's important that you have a thermometer either built into your refrigerated unit or attached to it so you can make sure your products are kept at the right temperature. You don't want your ice cream to melt or your fresh produce to go off, do you? With an in-built thermometer, you can easily keep track of your chiller's temperature and ensure that it is adjusted when necessary. Checking the temperature of your refrigerated shelving unit should become part of your regular maintenance routine. And on that note, one final consideration...

Maintenance: As with all your shelving units, regular maintenance keeps your refrigerated units in great condition and looking great. Chillers and freezers should be kept clean and in good working order if you want to get the most out of your investment, and any electrical goods need to be checked according to health and safety guidelines. If you're in any doubt about the condition of your refrigerated shelving, get in touch with Fridge Freezer Direct by calling 0845 6800 695 or visiting http://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/.

For all your shelving needs, including chillers, freezers and coolers, visit Shelving4Shops or call us on 01455 221512. 







Ensuring your cooler or freezer possesses these 3 features will allow you to get more bang for your buck.