Organizing commercial and industrial spaces is not an easy task at all. It involves a lot of work and the acquisition of suitable shelving systems. Currently, there are many stores that provide a wide range of such products to their customers, but not all of them have the same quality or durability.
For business to be successful, commercial and industrial spaces need to be very well organized. In this article, we offer you some tips on how to choose the best commercial shelving materials for different types of uses.
In a retail shop, there is typically different kind of products. They must be exposed on different shelves, to be as visible as possible and attract the attention of people entering the store.
There is a wide range of shelves available on the market: wall shelving, corner and end bays, freestanding shelving, refrigerating shelving units, warehouse shelving, dump bins etc.
What are commercial shelves made of?
There are many materials used in the fabrication of shelving Denver systems:
- Metal Shelves: Laminated Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Brass that can be painted or simply varnished.
- Wood Shelves: Solid wood, melamine chipboard or MDF, veneered MDF, painted MDF
- Glass Shelves: with security foil, anti-impact glass.
- Plastic Shelves: Acrylic, PETG, PMMA, , Bond.
Materials can be combined (for example metal with wood, which is one of the most popular combinations), for a particular design. Each texture, finish, color adds an extra note of contrast.
A retail shop has a wide assortment of products that need to be stored properly, depending on their category. For example, vegetables and fruits are typically stored on adjustable rack systems, some with removable shelves, as well as in wire storage racks. Perishable products should be placed on refrigerated shelves, providing adequate constant temperature.
Meat and fish products must be stored separately, on refrigerated shelves too and, if we are talking about frozen and packaged products, they have to be placed in special refrigerated crates.
For the bakery area, wooden shelves and special laminate shelves are recommended for storing bread and other bakery products. Bread racks can be custom made to fit perfectly into certain areas of the supermarket and they can also be made of metal, not just wood.
Metal provides interesting patterns both in terms of utility and design. Some of the most resistant shelves are of metal, being suitable for storing heavy and bulky products, such as building materials.
As about plastic shelving systems, they are surprisingly strong, although not as sturdy as metal systems. They are also similar with metal racks in terms of design, with shelves snapping into support columns.
Mobile vs. stationary
You can also choose between mobile or stationary shelving systems, considering the particularities of your commercial space. Stationary shelving units cannot be pushed together, to save space, therefore they must placed in a way that allows people to walk between them. If your commercial space is limited, you should rather opt for mobile shelving systems, although mobile units are typically more expensive than stationary units.