POG in Retail. A Guide to Planograms, Shelf Strategy & Smarter Merchandising

What Is a POG (Planogram) in Retail?

In retail, POG stands for “Planogram” - a visual schematic or layout that guides how and where products should be placed on shelves or displays. It’s a crucial tool used by retailers, merchandisers, and brands to create a shopping experience that’s intuitive, efficient, and persuasive.

A planogram helps retailers:

• Maximize product visibility.

• Influence buying behavior.

• Ensure shelf compliance across locations.

• Maintain inventory consistency.

Planograms Work for Any Product Category

Whether you're selling toothpaste, tech gadgets, tools, toys, or tequila, you can build a planogram tailored to your category. Planogram software gives you the flexibility to organize any type of inventory: from everyday essentials to seasonal promos in a way that makes sense for both the shopper and your sales goals.

With modern planogram tools, you can:

• Create shelf layouts for grocery, apparel, electronics, home improvement, and more.

• Adjust facings and stock levels based on category performance.

• Simulate real-world shelf impact before rolling out changes.

The result? You’re not just filling shelves, you’re strategically managing product visibility and profitability, regardless of what you're selling.

For instance, with planogram software, you can easily create:

• A planogram for mobile phones displayed on an island rack, organizing models by brand and feature tier to enhance comparison and visibility.

• A vertical hook planogram for phone accessories, grouping cases by compatibility and price tier to support impulse buys.

• A clean and coordinated layout for clothing displays, such as folded items by size on shelves or hanging garments arranged by color and style on racks.

These diverse planograms demonstrate how planogram software adapts to category-specific needs, ensuring every layout is tailored for optimal product presentation and shopper flow.

Example:

A POG might show that cereal boxes should go on aisle 5, third shelf from the bottom, organized by brand and size, with premium products at eye level. But the same principles apply whether you're arranging screwdrivers in a hardware store or lipsticks in a beauty boutique.

Why Planograms Still Matter in 2025 Retail

Some might assume that in today’s digital-first world, meticulous shelf planning has lost its importance, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In 2025, planograms are more relevant than ever, not just as a visual merchandising tool but as a core component of profitable retail strategy.

Retailers now operate in a complex environment where customer expectations are higher, competition is tougher, and store performance is constantly under scrutiny. Planograms offer a structured way to turn chaos into consistency across locations, teams, and product categories.

A good planogram doesn’t just make the store look tidy; it makes your store work smarter. When you assign every product a purpose and a place, restocking becomes faster, training becomes easier, and your displays work to generate sales. Planograms also allow retailers to react quickly to product trends or shifts in demand, without overhauling the entire store layout.

Consistency across locations is another critical factor. For retailers managing multiple branches, planograms ensure that your brand’s in-store experience remains uniform, no matter where the shopper walks in. A customer in Chicago should have the same intuitive shopping experience as one in Phoenix. Planograms make that possible, while still allowing for local variation where it matters.

They also play a vital role in vendor partnerships. When you're working with brand reps, suppliers, or category captains, a detailed planogram sets expectations and eliminates guesswork. Everyone knows exactly where products go, how much space they get, and what the shelf should look like. That clarity leads to faster execution and fewer costly errors.

Perhaps most importantly, modern planograms are no longer static diagrams. With today’s software, they’re data-informed, category-specific, and performance-driven. You can adjust shelf plans based on sales data, create location-specific versions, and test different configurations to see what drives the most revenue. You're not just organizing products, you’re fine-tuning your shelves like a sales engine.

In short, planograms are still one of the most practical, proven tools for turning everyday shelf space into a strategic asset that drives sales, improves efficiency, and enhances the customer experience, whether you're managing a single boutique or a national retail chain.

How POGs Work in Retail Environments

While planograms might seem static at first glance, they’re actually the backbone of a dynamic, data-informed retail strategy. Understanding how they’re created, implemented, and evolved is key to unlocking their full potential.

Who Creates a Planogram?

The creation of a planogram is a collaborative effort involving multiple players across the retail ecosystem:

• Retail merchandisers typically take the lead, using historical sales data, shopper insights, and category strategies to determine optimal product placement.
• Brand teams often contribute by negotiating space, positioning, and facings for their SKUs, especially in chains where shelf presence directly affects brand visibility.
• Store operations leaders ensure the planograms are practical for in-store execution and align with staffing, logistics, and stocking capabilities.
• Third-party software specialists or category management consultants may support the process by building out digital layouts using advanced planogram tools.

Modern planograms aren’t made with spreadsheets and guesswork; they’re created using specialized planogram software that integrates with sales data, and sometimes even heatmaps or AR features. This software allows retailers to simulate shelf layouts, test different configurations, and customize displays for specific store formats or regions.

This ensures that the final planogram is backed by real performance data, not just aesthetics.

Planogram Resets: Keeping Stores Fresh & Profitable

A planogram reset is when an existing product layout is reworked to reflect a new strategy. Resets are not just routine maintenance; they’re revenue opportunities.

They often occur:

• Seasonally, to highlight changing demand (e.g., back-to-school, holidays, summer products).
• When new products are launched, they require shelf space reallocation.
• During promotional periods, when key SKUs or impulse items need spotlighting.
• After product discontinuations or performance reviews, replace low performers with high-margin alternatives.

During a reset, a new planogram is issued, and store teams or dedicated installation crews realign the displays to match the new specifications. The key here is compliance. Executing the planogram precisely is what delivers results.

Smart retailers use planogram resets not only to keep the store looking fresh but to continuously improve shelf productivity. By tracking how changes affect sales, traffic flow, and dwell time, they can optimize future resets with greater accuracy.

Ultimately, planograms function as a living system, not a one-time layout. They evolve as shopper behavior, product mixes, and business goals shift, making them one of the most flexible and impactful tools in a retailer’s toolkit.

Power Up Your POG Strategy with PlanoHero

Creating a planogram isn’t just about placing products on a shelf; it’s about placing the right products in the right place at the right time, every time. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start driving measurable performance from your shelf space, it’s time to level up your POG strategy.

PlanoHero is purpose-built for modern retail teams who need:

• Easy-to-use planogram software with drag-and-drop tools.
• Smart insights from sales data.
• Custom layouts for any category, store format, or display type.
• Real-time collaboration between merchandisers and store teams.

Whether you're building a planogram for a single seasonal endcap or managing dozens of store locations, PlanoHero gives you the control, speed, and insight to do it better—and faster.

No more static layouts. No more time-consuming resets. Just smart, scalable shelf planning designed to increase sell-through and create a better shopper experience.

Try PlanoHero today and see how a data-driven planogram can turn your shelf into a sales engine.