A line sheet is a marketing material that companies use to present their products to the retail stores and make an order. The last feature is crucial because the primary purpose of the line sheet is to sell.
In the past, PDF and printed line sheets were the only options, so an order form was usually included. Unless this presentation format is still popular and proves its effectiveness, some of the companies are shifting their marketing materials online. In the case of a digital line sheet, there is an ordering function that is already inbuilt in the file. Moreover, when there are any changes to the product information, the printed line sheets become outdated.
From the retail buyer’s perspective, a line sheet is a document with all the essential information presented clearly. So, they can quickly and easily make a decision if the product is the right fit for their store. Additionally, some retail stores have a list of requirements of how the line sheet should look like.
Long story short, every wholesale business uses a line sheet to present their products. This statement is true across almost all categories – apparel, jewelry, furniture, toys, etc.
The Line Sheet Structure and Design
A good line sheet has a well-organized structure. The main rule to the line sheet design is to make it absolutely clear. A line sheet is a reference guide for the buyer to find product details.
So, the client can easily search for the information needed. The buyer should see the product range, how much it costs, and where to order it from the first sight.
Usually, a line sheet has a landscape layout. On the top edges, you can find contact details, such as company name, email address, phone number, website and street address, and company’s logo.
A line sheet is a few pages long. The shorter, the better. So, the products are placed on the page in a grid format (2×4, 4×4, etc.) with several lines of product details. These details usually include price, sizing, color options, and any other important information like that.
Plain background and high-quality images are two contributors to the professional-looking design of the line sheet. This is where a designer departs from lifestyle photography and focuses more on straight product shots.
As we have already mentioned, a good line sheet has an order form, and all the information needed to fill it out.
A line sheet is also often customized for each client. So the “one size fits all” approach does not work in this case. Different retailers have different needs and expectations from suppliers and their products.
The line sheet is an essential part of the sales process. So the B2B businesses put time and effort into using the best practices and strategies to create them.
What’s the difference: Line Sheet, Catalog, Lookbook?
A line sheet is sometimes referred to as a product catalog or even a lookbook. However, each of them is a separate and unique way to present products to the buyers.
A lookbook is a visual guide to the brand. It is a compilation of fashion and lifestyle photographs of the product with minimum product information. Lookbooks are usually used in the B2C market. So, they are appealing to the emotional part of the clients. In a most common scenario, a lookbook will have one product per page layout with eye-catching font and colors.
As you can see, a line sheet is opposite to the lookbook. First of all, it appeals to the buyer’s rational part with a clean design and structure.
A catalog is in between a lookbook and a line sheet. A catalog often has several products per page, with appealing images and a limited amount of text. Usually, it includes product price, variances, and description. So, it is more information compared to a lookbook and less compared to a line sheet.
A line sheet contains pure facts about the products, while a catalog will discuss this fact in the advertising way. A catalog is also usually bigger compared to the line sheet in terms of the number of pages. This structure allows the companies to use a catalog for B2B and B2C markets.
Overview
A line sheet is an essential part of the wholesale business in any industry. This is why today, some software programs help businesses with this issue. Here is a list of some examples of what can be done with the help of the line sheet creation platform.
– Creating a PDF and digital version of a catalog alongside the linesheet.
– Automation of product detail updates.
– Professional-looking templates and advanced design functions.
– Online Ordering and Payment System embedded in the digital line sheet.
Catalog Machine presents all the features mentioned above. Click https://www.catalogmachine.com/line-sheet-template to check it out.