What is a planogram? How to read one, follow it and make a simple one for your store

If you work in a supermarket, a pharmacy chain or a brand store, sooner or later someone will hand you a sheet of paper or a phone screen full of coloured boxes and say, “Set the shelf as per the planogram.” For many new staff, that’s the first time they’ve heard the word.

A planogram is simply a map of a shelf. It shows exactly which product goes where, how many are visible at the front and on which level. It sounds technical, but once you understand it, setting a shelf becomes faster and the results are far more consistent. This guide explains how to read, follow and even create a planogram.

What a planogram is

A planogram (plan + diagram) is a visual plan of how products should be arranged on a shelf, rack, wall or display. It usually shows:

• the fixture: which shelf unit, how many shelves, their heights;
• the position of each product, left to right, top to bottom;
• the number of facings: how many units of each product sit side by side at the front;
• sometimes the depth: how many units stand behind each facing;
• product names, codes or barcodes, and sometimes photos;
• price tag or offer sign positions.

Chains and brands create planograms at head office and send them to stores, so every store looks consistent and the best-selling or most profitable products get the best spots.

Why stores use planograms

The logic behind shelf positions

Planograms aren’t random. They follow a few well-known principles about how people shop. The most important is that shoppers mostly see and pick what’s at eye level and within easy reach. Retail researcher Paco Underhill documented how much shoppers miss when products are too high, too low or hidden behind other displays.

Other common principles you’ll see in planograms:

• Brand blocking: all products of one brand together, so customers find their brand fast.
• Category flow: related items next to each other, in the order people think (shampoo next to conditioner).
• Price ladders: cheaper to premium, usually left to right, so comparison is easy.
• Facings by sales: faster sellers get more facings, so they don’t run out.
• Size order: smaller packs at one end, larger at the other.

How to read a planogram

Setting a shelf from a planogram, step by step

Planogram compliance: how it’s checked

Brands and chains check that stores follow planograms, through area managers, VM audits, brand representatives or photos sent through an app. Common problems they find:

• products in the wrong position, often after customers move them;
• too few facings for best sellers, causing gaps;
• competitor products placed in a brand’s agreed space;
• missing or wrong price tags;
• old planograms still in place after a new one was issued.

The fix is a simple routine: check your section against the planogram during each refill and at closing, put back go-backs, and keep the latest plan where everyone can see it. Our guide to keeping your store audit-ready covers how VM and operations audits work.

A quick planogram check you can do in two minutes

1. Stand where a customer would stand, about two steps back.
2. Compare the shelf with the plan, top to bottom, left to right.
3. Count facings for the top three products. Are they full?
4. Check price tags sit under the right products.
5. Look for intruders: products from other sections or brands.
6. Fix what you can immediately; report gaps and out-of-stocks.

Doing this at every refill and at closing keeps sections audit-ready without extra work.

When to question a planogram

Planograms are made at head office using sales data, but stores know their customers. If something in a plan clearly doesn’t work in your store (a product always runs out in its space, a shelf height doesn’t fit the fixture, a category is placed where customers can’t find it), don’t just ignore the plan. Tell your supervisor with specifics: “This sells out every day by noon with two facings; can we get four?” Good companies listen, and that kind of feedback is how planograms improve.

Making a simple planogram for a small shop

You don’t need software. A kirana, chemist or stationery shop can make a useful planogram with a phone and a notebook:

A photo of a well-arranged shelf is a perfectly good planogram for a small shop. It means any helper can refill correctly, and you can see at a glance what’s missing.

For more display ideas on a small budget, see visual merchandising for small stores, and for how the whole floor is arranged, retail store layouts: grid, loop and free-flow.

Planograms and online orders

In stores that fulfil online orders, a planogram helps pickers find products quickly and keeps stock where the system expects it to be. Research firm Redseer has noted that in India, shipping online orders from stores is common, which makes a well-organised shelf more valuable than ever. See omnichannel retail for store teams.

The short version

• A planogram is a shelf map: what goes where, how many facings and where tags go.
• Eye-level spots go to best sellers; heavy and bulk items go low.
• Set shelves from the plan step by step, then check from the customer’s position.
• Don’t fill gaps with random products; report out-of-stocks.
• Small shops can make a planogram with a photo of a well-arranged shelf.

Common questions

Is a planogram the same as visual merchandising?

A planogram is one tool within visual merchandising. VM also covers windows, mannequins, signage, lighting and the overall look of the store. If you enjoy planogram work, VM can become a career; see how to become a visual merchandiser.

How often do planograms change?

It depends on the category and company: often with seasons, new launches, promotions or major sales reviews. Always check you’re using the latest version.

Who makes planograms?

In chains, space planners or category teams at head office, often with brand partners. In small shops, the owner or a trusted staff member.

For more shop floor terms like facings, endcaps and gondolas, see our retail glossary.