How to Make a Planogram

Start with a Planogram Template

To make a planogram in SmartDraw, click on New Document on the dashboard. This will show you all the templates and examples SmartDraw has organized into a handful of categories. Choose the Elevations category and then select the blank Planogram template. This template has all the tools you need to add shelves and products to create a planogram.

Add Shelves

The blank planogram template opens with a basic 8' x 8' shelf already in your drawing area. You can use this shelf or add your own from the docked Shelf Units and Storage library to the left of your canvas.

Add Products to Shelves

To add products, click on the Products library, also docked to the left of your drawing area. Drag and drop items to the shelves as needed. Most of the products in this library are generic containers, cans, bottles, tubes, and boxed items.

Search for More Symbols

Need more symbols? Just type any keywords, such as "clothing" or "lighting elevation," in the Search for symbols box above the docked libraries. The search results will be grouped by the libraries they were found in. Click on the plus sign next to any group of results and you can either choose Add result or Add library for future use. Add result only adds the symbols that matched your query. Add library will add the entire library the symbols were found in.

Add Color

Once you've added symbols to your planogram, you can modify them to make your layout more visually appealing. With an item selected, use the Fill option on the Home tab to add color.

Resize, Rotate, and Move Products

Resize shapes by dragging the growth handles that look like hollow black squares.

You can rotate any shape using the circular rotate handle to the upper left of the symbol. Simply, click the control and move your mouse. Alternatively, you can use the Rotate controls in the Home tab.

You can even resize any symbol by typing directly into its dimension label. To turn on dimension labels, go to the Dimensions & Area section of your SmartPanel and click on Show Dimensions. Once you see the labels, just click and type. You can be as exact as you want.

Use the grid and rulers to space items accurately. As you move items around on your page, you'll see blue guidelines that show you the distance to the nearest object to help you position things better.

Right-click on the rulers in your drawing area to change the scale units to architectural, metric, or a custom option of your choosing.

Create Labels for Products

You can add labels, lists or numbers to your planogram.

Text behavior varies depending on the symbol. For example, with larger shapes like shelving units, you can simply select the shape and type to add text. It will automatically appear below the shape and move with your shape when you reposition it.

Smaller product symbols, such as bottles or cans, don't have a built-in text area. You'll need to create a separate text label. Click the Text control in the SmartPanel and then type in your work area to create a text object.

To keep the label attached to its item, select both the shape and the label, then click Group on the Home tab.

Import Your Own Product Images or Logos

You can easily import your own product images or custom logos. Simply click Insert on the Home tab and select your files.

Create a Custom Library of Products

You can save any images you imported or created in SmartDraw as custom symbols to use in future planograms.

To create a custom library, click on More in the symbols section of the SmartPanel on the left-hand side of your workspace.

This will open the Symbol Libraries dialog.

Click on Add New and select Add New Custom Library.

Type the name of your custom library and click OK to save your library.

Your custom library will now open in the SmartPanel. You can drag and drop your custom symbols to it to add them to the library.

Enhance Your Products with Data

Any shape in SmartDraw can contain data. You can import a spreadsheet of data and assign the data to shapes or data individually to shapes as needed. You can enter product names, SKUs, barcodes, prior sales data, sales notes like "top seller" or "new product launch", price, brand, priority placement rank, product category, and so on.

The information will be displayed as a tool tip when you hover over the shape and can be exported independently from your visual.

Apply Planogram Best Practices

There's no single winning formula for creating a planogram. The best planogram should be driven by your own customer data and analytics. Use what you know about your shoppers to design a layout that makes finding and buying products intuitive. Combine your insights with these best practices to help you optimize your layout:

• Relevance: Group products by activity, lifestyle, or demographics. For example, group gluten-free or keto products in a section aimed at customers with dietary restrictions. Or group all the items someone might need for painting their room from paint to brushes, rollers, and painter's tape.
• Visibility: Consider what products are at eye level and whose eye level. For example, products aimed at kids should be on lower shelves, while products aimed at adults should be on higher shelves.
• Block by brand: Group items by brand to make it easier for customers to find items quickly and reinforce brand loyalty. Brand blocking will also create a clean, organized look.
• Complementary categories: Arrange items that are typically used together near each other. For example, place the chips near dips, add batteries near the electronics, and place shampoos next to conditioners. This encourages cross-selling and improves convenience.
• Consider shopper flow: Design your layout to match how people naturally move through your store. Place high-demand staples deeper in the aisles to increase exposure to other products, and feature impulse items at checkouts or end caps.
• Seasonality and promotions: Rotate displays to highlight seasonally relevant items or showcase new product launches. For example, you could have a section for back-to-school supplies in late summer. Then switch it to holiday items in winter and sunscreen in early summer. Apply the same principle to new product launches and limited-time promotions to make them easier to find.

Review and Share

Share your planogram with your team or clients to get feedback and ideas. Simply click the Share button in the upper right corner of your app and send your team a link. You can even work on the same planogram as a team in real-time. Check your layout against brand rules, store standards, and make sure everything is compliant with relevant regulations.

Once you're happy with your planogram, export it as a PDF or image using the Export command on the Home tab.

Planograms can help you standardize store layouts across multiple locations, minimize wasted space, maximize revenue, and show retailers or team members recommended product placements. SmartDraw makes it easy to create and maintain them through changing sales information and seasonal variations.