Retail Facings Explained: Boosting Visibility and Sales from the Shelf

What are facings?

Facing refers to the space occupied by a single unit of a product on a retail shelf, displayed front-facing to the customer. It represents the basic presentation unit of a product on the shelf.

Facings, on the other hand, refer to the number of rows or units of the same product displayed side, with each row representing one facing. Whether it's a grocery store, a convenience store, a pharmacy, or a big-box retailer, facing is widely employed to maintain an organized and visually appealing presentation of products. The goal is to increase the potential for sales by making the displays more appealing, accessible, and visible to customers.

The number of facings for a product on the shelf depends on several factors, including:

1. Retail establishment size: Larger stores may offer more facings for popular products, while smaller stores may have limited shelf space.
2. Commercial agreements: Deals between manufacturers and distributors can impact the amount of shelf space a product receives.
3. Product performance: High-performing products may be allocated more facings due to their sales value and units sold.
4. Visibility: Products with more facings are more likely to be noticed by customers, increasing their chances of being purchased.

Visibility and perception thresholds

Visibility is the minimum space required for a product to be noticed by customers during their shopping journey. As Monzó and Clar mention in their book Marketing at the Point of Sale (2005), this visibility threshold is determined by the average speed at which customers move through a store, which affects the time they have to visualize and perceive a product.

Studies indicate that the average walking speed in a retail environment is one meter per second, and the human eye captures images in 1/3 of a second. Based on this, the visibility threshold for a product is approximately 33.3 centimeters, meaning each item needs this minimum space to be seen by customers.

The size of the retail space also impacts the perception threshold. In larger stores, customers tend to walk faster, requiring more shelf space per product to maintain visibility. For smaller stores (less than 100 m²), a minimum visibility threshold of 20 to 25 cm is recommended, while larger stores may require 30 to 40 cm. In very large spaces like hypermarkets or department stores, where customers walk even faster and products are farther away, the visibility threshold may increase to 50 or 60 cm.

The impact of facing on sales

There’s a direct relationship between the number of facings and the sales generated by a product. As the saying goes, "What isn't seen, as if it doesn't exist, won't be bought." Research suggests that doubling the facings of a product can increase sales by up to 20%. However, this increase in sales only applies up to a certain point—known as the visual saturation threshold—after which additional facings do not significantly boost sales. This threshold is typically defined as 12 facings or 90 cm.

Maximizing shelf space

It's important to remember that shelf space is finite, and retailers must develop strategies that optimize product placement and facings to ensure the best performance. Striking the right balance between the quantity of products displayed and their visibility is key to driving sales and maximizing the value of shelf space.

Yury, a seasoned Category Manager Consultant with over 10 years of experience, has successfully led projects across various sectors for both manufacturers and distributors. At Softtek, we are proud to have experts like Yury who are dedicated to crafting tailored solutions that meet your unique business needs. Explore our retail page to discover how we can help you optimize your retail strategies and drive success.