"Facing and fronting" is known by other names in the retail trade. It's a vital and yet easy way of making your store look neat, busy and clean. People buy more from a store they think that has full shelves than a store with empty shelves. It doesn't matter if there is the same amount of merchandise on that shelf. Shoppers perfer the look of full shelves. That only comes when you face and front all of your merchandise.

Things You Will Need

  • Ladder or stepstool

  • Bottle of spray cleaner

  • Rag or paper towels

  • Duster

Drag one item on the self forward to the edge. If you can stack it, then drag two items forward, one on top of the other. That's facing. For items on peg hooks, slide a package forward. For a rack of clothes, pull an item out from the rack closest to the aisle to make the rack appear full.

Make sure the product labels are facing the customer and the merchandise is right-side up. That's fronting.

Put stray merchandise on the floor or in a shopping cart, depending on your supervisor's preference.

Make sure that the oldest item is in front, if it's perishable (like food or medicine).

Use a sturdy ladder or stepstool to face and front the product for high shelves. Ease yourself onto your knees by taking the weight first in your hands before doing the bottom shelves.

Spread the mechandise out to fill the entire shelves, even in places where the shelf labels describe another item.

Give items a quick dusting. If you have time and the shelf is mostly bare behind the faced and fronted merchandise, clean the shelf with the spray cleaner and towels.

Put the stray merchandise back where they belong, or give the strays to another associate to put away.

Tip

Some stores will not let you put other merchandise where there's not a label for it. Check with your supervisor before spreading out all of the merchandise in a row to fill the shelf completely. It's easier to start at one end on the aisle and work your way completely down, doing all of the shelf space on all of the levels you can reach, rather than completing the top shelf and then going back and completing the second shelf and so on.

Warning

Don't pull all of the merchandise forward. You only need to pull the first one or two items forward in order to create the effect you are looking for. Don't neglect this task because it will make your store look shabby, ill-stocked and low-end.