Types of Planograms in Retail

Understanding the different types of planograms in retail is essential for merchandisers, store planners, and category managers looking to drive performance across store formats.

What Is a Planogram?

A planogram is a visual diagram or schematic that illustrates the placement of products on shelves or displays. It’s a strategic tool that helps retailers control product positioning, ensure brand consistency, manage category adjacency, and even boost impulse buying.

Effective planogramming ensures that every square inch of selling space delivers maximum value. Whether you're working in grocery, pharmacy, fashion, or electronics, tailoring the right type of planogram to your goals can have a measurable impact on profitability.

1. Shelf Planograms (Horizontal and Vertical Layouts)

Shelf planograms are the most widely used type. They dictate how products should be aligned across linear shelf space. These planograms can be further divided into two subtypes:

Horizontal Planograms

This layout aligns products along a horizontal plane—side-by-side from left to right. It’s often used to emphasize brand blocking, enabling shoppers to compare products easily within the same category.

• Best for: Mass-market products, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), or high-turnover categories.
• Benefits: Improves product visibility, reinforces brand identity, simplifies customer decision-making.

Vertical Planograms

Products are placed from top to bottom in a vertical line. This approach takes into account customer eye movement, often referred to as the “vertical eye tracking pattern”. More profitable items are typically placed at eye level, while slower movers occupy the bottom shelf.

• Best for: Encouraging premium product purchases.
• Benefits: Drives high-margin sales, aligns with natural scanning behavior.

2. Category Planograms

Category planograms are organized by product type or use case, rather than brand. This method focuses on creating a logical flow within a department or aisle. Think of it as building a mini ecosystem of complementary items.

For example, in a pet store, a category planogram might place dog food next to dog treats, toys, and grooming products. This strategy boosts cross-selling opportunities and makes the shopping experience more intuitive.

• Best for: Retailers with multiple categories and subcategories.
• Benefits: Enhances product discoverability, increases average basket size.

3. Brand Planograms

Brand planograms are used when a retailer or vendor wants to showcase a specific brand across a larger block of space. This is common in vendor-managed inventory (VMI) situations where suppliers influence shelf design.

Brand-based layouts prioritize brand equity and are often used in endcap displays or feature areas. While they might compromise variety, they reinforce consumer loyalty and brand trust.

• Best for: Co-branded campaigns, product launches, or when working with exclusive brand partnerships.
• Benefits: Drives brand awareness, increases premium product visibility.

4. Market-Specific Planograms

No two retail locations are alike. That’s why market-specific planograms are tailored to suit regional buying behavior, store size, or customer demographics. These localized planograms are developed based on POS data, sales trends, and consumer preferences in a specific location.

For example, a store in a coastal region might stock more sunscreen and beach accessories, while an urban location might prioritize compact, grab-and-go items.

• Best for: Chain retailers operating in diverse markets.
• Benefits: Improves localization, reduces inventory waste, supports micro-merchandising.

5. Retail Planograms by Fixture Type

Not all planograms revolve around shelving. Some are created based on the type of retail fixture used. These include:

Pegboard Planograms

Ideal for hardware, tools, or small accessories, pegboard layouts allow hanging products for better visibility. Products can be arranged by size, weight, or usage frequency.

Endcap Planograms

Endcaps are the focal point at the end of aisles and are prime real estate for promotions or new products. A strong endcap planogram can dramatically impact impulse sales.

Island or Freestanding Display Planograms

Often found in seasonal or promotional zones, island displays require a different merchandising approach with 360-degree visibility in mind.

• Best for: Special events, limited-time offers, or new product introductions.
• Benefits: Attracts foot traffic, supports promotional campaigns, increases dwell time.

6. 3D or Visual Planograms

Unlike traditional 2D schematics, 3D planograms provide a lifelike visual representation of how the layout will appear in-store. These are invaluable for store planning teams, visual merchandisers, and retail architects, as they allow for detailed pre-visualization.

• Best for: Large format stores, new store layouts, or retail remodels.
• Benefits: Reduces setup errors, improves stakeholder communication, supports immersive merchandising training.

7. Retail Planograms Based on Performance Data

Data-driven planograms use real-time sales data, inventory turnover, and dwell time analytics to shape product placement. These plans are updated more frequently and respond dynamically to shifting demand patterns.

Integrating performance insights leads to smart planogramming—where high-performing SKUs gain prominent placement, and underperformers are rotated out or relocated.

• Best for: Retailers leveraging advanced analytics or machine learning tools.
• Benefits: Optimizes revenue per square foot, increases planogram compliance, adapts to trends.

Incorporating Planograms in Real Life: Visual Examples

Seeing real-world examples can be incredibly helpful when learning to read or build effective planograms. If you're looking for a curated collection of retail layouts across various store types, check out the retail planogram example gallery by PlanoHero. This free visual library is an excellent resource for exploring practical merchandising strategies across multiple industries.

Choosing the right type of planogram isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a matter of sales efficiency, inventory control, and customer satisfaction. From shelf-based layouts to localized and data-driven models, planograms are the silent sales force working behind the scenes of every successful store.

Whether you're optimizing product adjacencies, fine-tuning a fixture layout, or launching a new product, understanding how different planogram types function is essential to achieving consistency and maximizing profitability.

Take the time to analyze your category goals, store layout, and shopper behavior. With the right planogram in place, you're not just organizing shelves—you’re building a better shopping experience.