5 Common Grocery Store Fixtures

5 Common Grocery Store Fixtures

As the name implies, a fixture is a display feature that can't be moved. Grocery stores need lots of fixtures, from the bakery ovens to the backroom sinks. Buying reliable fixtures and putting them to good use will have an affect on your grocery store's bottom line. A good impression is important, and no one can afford to come off as being less than professional. If you're considering opening your own grocery store, here are six common fixtures you need to have.

• Bakery showcases. Shelves, display racks, and acrylic bins are must-haves for fresh baked goods. Whether your bakery offers donuts, birthday cakes, or loaves of hot bread, you'll need a place to showcase them. Plastic display cases with hinged lids are ideal for apple fritters and cinnamon rolls. (Make sure to include a box of wax paper, some paper bags, and a pair of plastic tongs, so people can help themselves.) A deep acrylic bin works great for bagels and bread sticks.

• Refrigeration equipment. Keep food cold with grocery store fixtures like walk-in freezers, frozen food shelves, reach-in cases, and ice makers. Stocking single-serving ice cream treats in a sliding-top case allows kids to reach inside and grab a Popsicle or a Drumstick. If you sell liquor, don't forget the beer coolers and ice chests.

• Storage. Every office and backroom warehouse needs versatile store fixtures such as shelves and bins for storage. Efficient use of space will enable you to carry more items, and find what you're looking for faster, especially when you've got a customer or a vendor tapping his foot outside the door.

• Product shelves. Shelves are a handy grocery store fixture that comes in a variety of styles: showcase, wide span, wire display, cube. Modular units with slatwall panels can be assembled anywhere, and even rearranged if you want to give your store a different configuration. Deeper shelves allow you to stock more of the popular items, like bread and cookies.

• Butcher block tables. If you've got a butcher on-site, or even just an in-house deli, you'll definitely need some butcher block tables, stocked with all the meat grinders, slicers, knives, and meat cubers that are tools of the trade. Customers like to watch, to make sure the meat is prepared to their specifications. Consider a classic-looking curved glass display case as an in-store fixture for the front of the deli, so customers can point to what they want.

Starting your own grocery store can be quite a challenge. Make sure you have all the grocery store fixtures you need to make your job easier and your store a success.