Think about the last time you went in for one thing and came out with three. Maybe it was batteries hanging next to the torches, or a pack of sauce sachets beside the pasta. You didn’t plan to buy them. They were just there at the right moment.
Clip strips are often the reason. They’re one of the cheapest pieces of kit in retail, and one of the easiest ways to add selling space to a store that already feels full. This guide covers what clip strips are, where they work best and how to get more out of them.
A clip strip is a long, narrow strip, usually plastic, with a column of hooks down its length. It hangs vertically from a shelf edge, fixture or display and holds small, packaged products one above the other.
The point is space. A clip strip sits in the gap between your planned shelf layout and the aisle, so it adds extra facings without using any shelf depth. You aren’t moving stock around or giving up room from a core line. You’re using an area that was doing nothing.
There are two main types. Flexible clip strips are usually PVC and suit lighter products like sachets, hair accessories or snacks. Rigid clip strips are stiffer and better for heavier items that would make a flexible strip bow or twist.
Most impulse buys happen because a product turns up while the shopper is already thinking about something related. Someone buying a phone case might need a charging cable. Someone picking up crisps might grab a dip. A clip strip puts that second product right next to the first, at the moment the decision is being made.
Cost matters too. Clip strips are inexpensive and quick to put up, with no tools and no store downtime. That makes them ideal for testing. If a product doesn’t sell from one spot, move it. If a line takes off, add another strip. You can try ideas that would be hard to justify with a bigger fixture.
They also make better use of tight aisles. Convenience stores, smaller formats and busy main aisles rarely have room for another floor display. A clip strip adds selling points per metre without blocking the aisle or getting in the way of staff filling shelves.
For anyone focused on store performance, the sum is simple: more sales from the same floor space, with no refit. For a bigger example of secondary displays in action, read our Morrisons Impulse Units Case Study.
Next To The Parent Product
This is where clip strips earn their keep. Pair products that belong together: batteries with toys, pet treats with pet food, wipes with barbecue kit, hair ties with brushes. The closer the link, the better they tend to sell.
At The Till And In Queue Areas
Shoppers waiting to pay have a few minutes and not much to look at. Small, low-price grab items such as mints, lip balm and phone accessories sit naturally here.
On Promotional Displays
Clip strips hang well from endcaps and wire dump bins, so you can extend a promotion upwards and sell an add-on alongside the main offer.
In Seasonal And Travel Zones
Travel-size toiletries before the summer holidays, stocking fillers in November. Clip strips are easy to put up and take down, which suits short-term ranges.
Two practical rules apply wherever you put them. Keep strips between eye and hand height so products are easy to see and reach. And don’t let them hang over shelf-edge pricing or the labels on your ESL Rails. A clip strip that hides a price costs you sales elsewhere on the shelf.
The right setup depends on what you’re hanging and where. Our Impulse & Promotional Range covers the strips, the fixings and the hang tabs that go on the products themselves.
The Strips
The Flexible Clip Strip (85.2601) is made from semi-transparent PVC, measures 824mm long and holds up to 12 items. It’s the one to choose for lighter products. We can also die-cut the hooks in-house to match your product, so if you have an unusual pack shape, Talk To Our Design Team.
For heavier products, the Rigid Clip Strip (85.2602) is made from polypropylene. It’s 784mm long, 63mm wide and also holds up to 12 items.
The Fixings
Most clip strips hang from the shelf edge on a Crimped ‘S’ Hook. We make these in white SAN plastic (85.2202) and zinc-plated steel (85.2203). The crimped end makes the strip far less likely to be knocked off by a passing shopper or trolley.
If your shelves already have data strips, the Clip Strip Stud Plate (85.2603) attaches clip strips straight onto 35mm or 39mm data strips, so you don’t need an S hook at all.
The Products
Not every product comes with a hanging hole. Our Ecovision® Cardboard Euro Slot Hang Tabs (70.8750) are 50mm by 50mm, self-adhesive and supplied in rolls of 1,000, so you can make almost any small pack ready to hang. For a plastic option, the Euroslot Self-Adhesive Hanging Tab does the same job.
A clip strip displays small products vertically from a shelf edge or fixture. Retailers use them to cross-merchandise related items next to a main product, add facings without using shelf space, and encourage impulse purchases in aisles, at tills and on promotional displays.
Most standard clip strips hold around 10 to 12 items. Harrison Retail’s Flexible and Rigid Clip Strips each hold up to 12. The exact number depends on the size and weight of the product, and heavier items are better suited to a rigid strip.
Most clip strips hang from the shelf edge on an S hook. A crimped S hook is more secure because it’s harder to knock off. On shelves fitted with data strips, a clip strip stud plate attaches the strip directly to the data strip instead.
Small, light, low-priced items that relate to a nearby product sell best. Common examples include batteries, sauce sachets, spices, snacks, hair accessories, phone accessories, pet treats, travel-size toiletries and seasonal gifts.
They do different jobs. Peg hooks need pegboard or slatwall and suit a permanent range. Clip strips hang from existing shelves and display, so they’re better for cross-merchandising and short-term promotions where you don’t want to add new fixtures.
Keep them full. A half-empty clip strip looks forgotten, and shoppers notice. Add clip strips to your normal replenishment checks so they don’t get missed.
Rotate products with the seasons, and track sales before and after you add a strip. That tells you which pairings work and which spots are worth keeping.
Don’t overdo it. A few strips in the right places will sell more than a crowded aisle where nothing stands out.
Clip strips won’t transform a store on their own. What they do is turn dead space at the shelf edge into somewhere products can sell, for very little cost. Put them next to the right products, keep them stocked, and you’ll know quickly whether they’re working.
Browse our Impulse & Promotional range or download the Retail Store Solutions Catalogue to see the full clip strip range. If you need hooks die-cut to fit your product, Get In Touch With Our Team on +44 (0)1451 830083 or email sales@harrisonretail.com.
