Shelving engineering

Shelving Engineering is the science of studying static loadings that happen in retailers stores and in stocks. It includes the study design and often the manufacturing and supply of a Shelving System, with the readiness of accepting variances from the standard to deliver an engineering service.

Usually built in metal, retailers' used shelving must comply to loading capacity requirements, but also user safety logics (our sons running around the supermarket must be safe) and marketing requirements of highly effective displays, colours and image and signs.

it's often called "gondola shelving engineering" when specifically referred to retailers and malls environments.

Finite elements analisys do add to companies calculations AbOUT the stress and the strength of shelving. Worldwide, the only norm available is the UNI norm, which has been created and studied at cost and contribution of the five main Gondola Shopfitting Shelving of Italy. The norm is the UNI 11262-1:2008 on "Scaffalature Commerciali".

The industry hope is that this norm will be upgraded as EN European Norm and then into ISO World Norm, being the retail environment one of the most lived by Contemporary society but left alone in terms of ruling and safety. This leaves low quality manufacturer free to deliver false promises to retailers, at their costs in term of safety and risks.