If you work in retail, you’ve certainly encountered retail gondola shelving, a popular, floor-standing retail display system that includes a base with a vertical spine, which supports cantilevered shelves on one or both sides. Typically, some sort of pegboard, slatwall, or solid board is used for the vertical element, to allow for versatility in adding or adjusting shelves, bins, or other display fixtures.

While you know how common this display type is, you may well wonder how it got its unique name. There’s no need to guess with slatwall or gridwall, for example, which are made from slats and grids, respectively, but retail gondola shelving is another matter. How did this type of shelving end up with such a peculiar name?

What is a Gondola?

Let’s start by examining the word itself. Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers several related definitions for the word gondola, including “a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice” — the version with which most of us are familiar. It could also be “an elongated car attached to the underside of an airship,” “an enclosed car suspended from a cable and used for transporting passengers,” or “a railroad car with no top, a flat bottom, and fixed sides.”

What all of these definitions have in common is transportation, but also a long, flat structure. It is this feature that we’ll focus on since it is this very structure that defines the utility of gondola shelving. The long, flat shelving typical to this setup of gondola shelving could be said to mimic the flat-bottomed boats of Venice or open railroad cars used for transporting heavy or bulky cargo.

What’s in a Name?

While it’s unclear if gondola shelving borrows its name from the flat-bottomed boats that have populated the Venice canals as far back as the 11th century, it’s a good bet, considering the similarities between the long, flat planes of the shelving and the bottom of these Venetian boats. In addition, the versatility of gondola shelving mirrors the resourcefulness of its apparent namesake, which maneuvers tricky canals with ease.

This type of retail shelving is extremely functional and versatile, thanks to features that allow for quick and easy adjustments. Many people ask: How to install gondola shelving? It is fairly easy. The Heavy-duty steel support structure eliminates the need for traditional 4-post attachment configurations, making it easy to move shelves up and down the vertical wall as needed. In addition, the shelves offer a tilt feature that means you can leave them flat or create an angle, depending on what you’re storing and how you prefer to display it.

In Conclusion

While there’s no definitive link between gondola shelving and other types of gondolas used throughout the world, it’s not hard to connect the dots and presume that this flat, elongated shelving that offers such versatility is related to boats and other gondolas that share similar properties.

If you are interested in purchasing Retail Gondolas Shelving and accessories for your retail store, shop our website, Specialty Store Services.  We have everything you need to be a profitable retailer.  If you have a question about how to install or assemble gondola shelving that you would like answered immediately, you can Live Chat, or phone us at 800-999-0771.