Grocery store shelving on a black steel frame — SPAR

Grocery store shelving, a bread display, a vegetable stand and bays with category signs for a SPAR store, one outlet of a large grocery chain. The task was to show very different goods in one room, from dry goods and drinks to bread and vegetables, while keeping the store coherent. So every department repeats one rule — a black steel frame and a light wooden shelf — and only the fittings change.

One frame for every department

The supermarket shelving is built of black square section; thick light shelves rest on gusset brackets, with price rails along the front edge. Island bays are closed by a top frame, while the wall units stand against tile and brick. The frame is the same everywhere, so the floor looks consistent although the goods differ from one department to the next. Category signs are fixed straight to the frame: the signage moves with the unit when the zoning of the floor changes. We cover this principle in our article on modular shopfitting.

Bread, vegetables, bottles

The infill changes with the product. The bread display has wooden tiers with clear flip-up screens: the loaves are visible and covered, and the shopper lifts the screen; under the tiers, pull-out trays with long black handles make restocking and clearing crumbs easier. Vegetables lie in wooden slatted crates set at an angle on a steel stand, so the produce faces the customer as on a market stall. Sparkling wine has a unit with compartments for bottles. The same frame-shelving approach is in the bathroom and renovation goods department; a very different character, black metal and mesh, is the dark-toned sports store.

The approach suits neighbourhood food shops and smaller supermarkets that want a market feel without losing order. More on the custom shop fittings page.