Stores of any size, that deal in any sort of product, have one thing in common—the need for good shelving.

Despite the rise of ecommerce, retail stores are still thriving and growing, particularly in more urban areas that can support smaller local businesses. In order to properly serve their customer bases and get product on the shelves, local retailers have had to get clever with the type of shelves they use and how much space they take up.

The most commonly seen type of retail shelving is gondola shelving. Walk into any retail store in America, be it a national big-box chain or a small local shop, and you’re likely to see gondola shelves all throughout the store. Gondola shelves are designed to either sit flush against the wall to create pegboard-type storage, or to create ‘islands’ in the middle of the store that catches the shopper’s eye and draws their attention to items you might want to highlight or show off. These generally have individual shelves mounted to them or long pegs/hooks, depending on what products you carry and how they can be displayed.

While gondola shelves are great for the floor and the outsides of the store, higher storage might be needed. Wall mounted wire shelving is a common sight in retail stores, both for the main shop floor and for the storage rooms in the back. These shelves can support a great deal of weight (when mounted into the wall properly, of course) and are good for storing extra items or breakable goods that are better stored up out of the hustle and bustle of the store itself. Between the stockroom and the public area, many retail stores have been able to use wall mounted shelves to great effect.

After the main shopping area has been organized properly, a common strategy many retail stores use is to provide ‘incentive items’ near the checkout area—low-priced goods that someone may be suddenly inclined to purchase as well as the items they’ve previously chosen. Generally, these items are kept on the checkout counter or on smaller shelves nearby, typically something more low-profile to help conserve space. Plastic storage bins and wire shelving baskets are a good idea for keeping these goods organized and visible right where the customer’s eyes are going to go when they’re finishing up their purchase.

And no matter what kind of shelves you use, remember this—a store’s layout should be constantly evolving to meet changing times, trends, and customer demand. The shelves and locations you use today might not be what the customer needs tomorrow, and keeping up with the times will keep your customers coming back.