Resources for
Guides · for storesWritten for The Shelf Signal. Guides marked as from the book are adapted from The Truth Behind Premium Grocery by Michael Penner (2027).
Deciding the mix, testing it, running it, reviewing it.
Short reads from the operator's side, in the order the work happens: what earns a place in the set, how to test it, the operations behind the choice, and the review that keeps it honest.
15 chapters · about 16 minChapter 1 and Chapter 5 and Chapter 8 and Chapter 13 free · the rest for membersUpdated Nov 12, 202601
01The role each item playsEvery item belongs to a tier, and the tier decides how you price it.1 min readFree02How many items is enoughEvery new item means an exit. That is the math of curation.1 min readMembers03Pricing on purposeMost stores do not have a pricing strategy. They have a markup.1 min readMembers04Reading a verdict for your storeReal, Niche or Fad is about the trend. Whether it earns a facing is about your store.1 min readMembersDecide the mix
What earns a place: core, differentiated and discovery, and the price ladder.
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05Testing a trend on your shelfThree gates to get in, and one it has to keep clearing to stay.1 min readFree06Placement and signs that sellA new item nobody notices has not been tested. It has been hidden.1 min readMembers07The trial windowAt the end of the window an item hits its number, earns a written reason to stay, or leaves.1 min readMembersTest it
Bring a trend in without betting the set.
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08Setting up a new vendorPremium suppliers are small, passionate and frequently a mess. Plan for it.1 min readFree09Receiving and shelf lifeReceiving is the first margin gate. Every case you did not check is margin you agreed to lose.1 min readMembers10Shrink on new itemsEvery perishable gets an exit before the purchase order is cut.1 min readMembers11Your reset calendarNew things need a rhythm, or they arrive as clutter.2 min readMembers12Demos worth the floor spaceNot every brand that asks. A partnership puts your name next to theirs.1 min readMembersRun it
The operations behind the choice: vendors, receiving, shrink, resets and demos.
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13A category review in 30 minutesFacts, not feelings. One ranked list settles most of it.1 min readFree14Margin dollars per facingThe number that settles the argument about what deserves its space.1 min readMembers15Delisting, kindlyHow you remove an item is part of the brand.1 min readMembersReview it
The category review, the number that settles it and the kind delisting.