Sainsbury’s is introducing store-specific planograms (SSPOGs) into its supermarkets this summer.

Writing in Sainsbury’s staff magazine The Journal, head of space and range Melanie Cherchian said the JDA4 system would factor in each store’s equipment, space and sales to create tailored planograms so there was more space for the products customers wanted.

It has also been designed to work with the retailer’s online picking system - shelves have been numbered from the top downwards just as with online picking. Shelf-edge labels will also be printed out in planogram order.

It will be introduced to Sainsbury’s Locals next year. “This helps meet our customers’ changing needs and makes our colleagues’ lives easier at the same time,” Cherchian added.

“Store ranges won’t change but SSPOGs will help balance space better and they will be much easier to implement.”

Sainsbury’s is also rolling out free wi-fi in all its supermarkets so customers can access its apps and websites more easily, and staff can use its recently-introduced Yammer network.

“It will enable use of future apps and technology which will make the lives of our customers and colleagues easier,” said central retail project manager Mark Quartermain.

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