Planogram: What It Is, How to Create and Check One

A planogram is a layout diagram for a specific shelf unit or store area: which products go on which shelf, in what order, and how many facings each one gets. It turns merchandising rules into an instruction that a sales associate, a merchandiser and a store manager all read the same way. Below: what a planogram consists of, how to create one, and how to check that the shelves in your stores actually match it.

What a planogram is and why you need one

Without a diagram, every store in a chain merchandises in its own way: products go wherever there is space, or wherever is convenient for staff. A couple of weeks later, the same shelf in two stores holds different products, and category sales cannot be compared.

A planogram solves several problems at once:

• consistent displays across stores — shoppers find a product in the same place as in the store next door;
• category sales — high-margin, high-demand items sit on the "golden" shelf, not at the bottom;
• ordering and stock — the number of facings and the depth of each row determine how much stock the shelf holds between deliveries;
• supplier agreements — paid placements and brand blocks are visible on the diagram and can be checked;
• staff training — a new hire doesn't need to memorize where things go: it's all drawn out.

Planograms are made for main shelving, end caps, the checkout area, beverage coolers and promotional displays.

What a planogram includes

A good planogram answers "what", "where" and "how many". It usually includes:

The diagram can be a drawing or a photo mock-up of the shelf with labels. For a small chain, a table plus a photo of the reference display is enough; larger chains use dedicated space-planning software.

How to create a planogram: step by step

1. Collect sales data

Export category sales for the last 2–3 months: revenue, margin and units for each SKU. Mark the leaders, the middle and the laggards. Items that barely sell are candidates for delisting, not for shelf space.

2. Define the category structure

Decide how shoppers choose: by brand, type, price or size. This determines how to group products — vertical brand blocks or horizontal bands by type. The key rule: products that shoppers compare with each other stand side by side.

3. Assign products to shelves

Widely used merchandising principles:

• eye and hand level — best sellers and highest-margin items;
• top shelf — extended range and well-known brands that shoppers look for on purpose;
• bottom shelf — large and heavy packs, value-tier products;
• in the direction of traffic — from cheaper to more expensive, or from the main product to complementary ones.

4. Calculate facings

The number of facings should be proportional to the item's share of category sales. A best seller with one facing will keep running empty, while a laggard with five wastes space. Check that shelf stock lasts until the next replenishment.

5. Draw the diagram and approve a version

Show the shelf unit section by section and shelf by shelf, label the SKUs, specify facings and price tag positions. Give it a version number and date — otherwise stores will soon be working from different printouts.

6. Build a reference display and photograph it

Set up the shelf according to the diagram in one store and take a straight-on photo. A reference photo attached to the planogram is clearer than any table and makes checking much easier.

7. Roll out and train

Send the diagram to stores with a deadline for the reset. Name a person responsible in each store and ask for an "after" photo once the reset is done.

Why shelves drift away from the planogram

Even a perfect diagram stops matching the shelf within a couple of weeks. Typical reasons:

• a product ran out and its neighbours took over the space — facings "spread";
• a new delivery was put wherever there was room;
• shoppers moved products and staff didn't put them back;
• the store is still using an old planogram version;
• after a reset, price labels stayed in their old positions;
• the end cap still holds leftovers from the previous promotion.

That is why a planogram only works together with regular checks.

How to check planogram compliance

A planogram compliance check compares the actual shelf with the diagram using a fixed list of questions. It is easiest to go one shelf unit at a time, left to right and top to bottom, with the current diagram on your phone.

What to check:

1. Diagram version. The checker has the latest version; old printouts have been removed from the store.
2. Fixture. The number of sections and shelves and their heights match the diagram.
3. Assortment. Every SKU from the diagram is on the shelf; a missing item is checked against stock — if it's in the back room, that's a display violation.
4. Extra products. The shelf holds nothing that isn't in the diagram.
5. Position and order. Every product is on its shelf and in its sequence.
6. Facings. The number of facings matches the diagram (a sample of, say, 10 items is enough).
7. Display quality. Products face forward, are pulled to the shelf edge, rows are full in depth, no damaged packs.
8. Price labels. Each label is under its own product, and the price matches the till.
9. Secondary placements. End caps, the checkout area and promo displays match the current period's layout.

At the end, calculate the compliance rate: the number of correctly placed items divided by the number of items in the diagram, times 100. This number lets you compare stores and departments and track progress over time.

A ready-made list of questions is in the planogram compliance checklist template. Price labels are often checked separately — there's a price tag checklist for that.

How often to check

Benchmarks chains commonly use:

• after every reset — on the day the new version goes live, with an "after" photo;
• weekly — the store checks key shelves and promo areas itself;
• during an area manager's visit — 2–3 shelf units at random as part of the overall store audit (see the store audit checklist).

Adjust the frequency to the category's turnover: fast-moving products drift faster.

What to do with deviations

Anything that can be fixed right away is fixed on the spot, and the shelf is photographed afterwards. If the product isn't in stock, that's an ordering issue, not a display one, and it goes to whoever handles orders. Anything that can't be fixed during the check becomes a task with an owner and a due date — otherwise you'll see the same thing at the next check.

Common mistakes

• The planogram lives at head office, while the store has an old printout.
• The diagram doesn't match the real fixture: the store has one shelf fewer, and the layout falls apart.
• Checks without photos: a week later nobody can prove what the shelf looked like.
• Check results don't turn into tasks, so the same violations keep repeating.
• The compliance rate is estimated "by eye", so stores can't be compared.

Planogram checks in jeCheck

In jeCheck, displays are checked from a phone in the mobile app: the checker goes through the checklist item by item, attaches photos to each question, and the score is calculated as they go.

• Take the planogram check template from the library and adapt it to your shelving.
• Photos can be made mandatory for critical items; time, geolocation and the checker's signature are saved automatically.
• Any finding becomes a task with a photo for the person responsible in one tap.
• The app works offline, so a check in the back room or warehouse won't be interrupted.

More about store checks on the retail page.