shop equipment

Slatwall panels are very versatile display aids used by shop owners to refresh and represent their merchandise.

If you're thinking of running your own shop, you will encourage people to visit your store more often if it gives the appearance of something new every time they visit. ambience & clean, orderly store design. Things that help are essential to the longer term prosperity of your business. An attractive display with these modern shelves helps store look. Shelving units mounted on slatwall are options used in the retail to display goods to their best effect.

Basically the concept is a wall with thin pieces of wood, on which brackets are fitted. When the panels fall between the slats, the result is a display area that holds your goods. Slatwall shelves carry items from footwear and apparel, to toys, and any other retail products you care to think of.

Retail display systems such as Slatwall are an effective way of showing of your goods in shops, due to it being cost-effective, easy to repair and takeing up very little space. You will be able to display just about any sort of product using this system, from jewellry to sporting equipment, childrens' toys and kitchenware. One of the best aspects of such systems is its adaptability, which makes it incredibly useful for items of just about any shape. This makes it especially useful for displaying clothing. Clothing comes on a variety of different shapes and sizes, and using Slatwall it can be folded or hung on hangers and shoes can be displayed on shelving, making it amazingly versatile, and therefore perfect for displaying clothes in an attractive and effective retail display.

Using the sheer range of retail display panels on offer, Slatwall can be used to fit bars for hanging T-shirts or shirts on coathangers, while shelving can be useful to show off trainers and shoes. This can be especially useful for trying to create a 'boutique' feel for a clothing shop selling high-quality, slightly pricey, threads, or even one with niche clothing designs, like T-shirts with unusual or rare logos.

So this system can be especially useful for shop fittings and retail display. The panels usually cost under fifteen pounds for the cheapest model, which shows just how easy it is to fit out a shop. These panels, however, are fairly basic, only coming in cream, grey or white, but having something fully functional and attractive is a great way to set up shop. On the other hand, these panels may not be what a self-respecting shopkeeper looking for a high-class retail display wants - especially if they are selling high-quality clothing. Buying the more expensive Slatwall can really help doll up a shop - wood effect panelling can be great for clothes geared towards adults, while brightly coloured panelling can be perfect for childrens' clothing stores.

Shopfittings for Sporting equipment is specially designed to ensure that it will help players perform to the best of their ability; tennis rackets are made with graphite to allow competitors to swing them with ease, footballs are constantly being redesigned to make them bouncier and lighter, and golf clubs are precision made in various shapes to allow golfers to either send a ball soaring across a fairway, or tap it lightly into a hole. Our sporting goods have evolved massively from their simple origins, and these days can even help average athletes look impressive. All well and good, yes, but retailers, have you ever tried to display it?

Owners and employees of sporting goods stores will be well aware of the frustrating process of displaying tennis bats, footballs and golf clubs, which, as they become more sophisticated, become even more awkwardly shaped. There are solutions that seem to sort out any problems, such as putting the equipment in cardboard packaging to make them less difficult to stack and display, but the packaging will mean the customers cannot see them, and landfill sites will be even more cluttered with unnecessary packaging. On the other hand, even normal slatwall fittings will not be of much help; after all, imagine trying to balance footballs on a floating shelf, or hanging tennis rackets on a bar normally employed to hang clothing.

Luckily, slatwalls have a display system designed specifically for sporting goods - a system that is both attractive and practical. Take the football ring designed to fit slatwalls; for only £1.10, retailers can avail themselves with a simple metal ring to show off their footballs, in a way that is simple, and allows customers to examine the balls before making a purchase. There is also a larger ring available for £1.50, which is perfect for basketballs, while volleyballs could be displayed in the football rings. This means one of each football, basketball or volleyball can be displayed in the front of the shop, with a larger selection stacked in the back without any need to worry about making them look good. The only drawback is that there is no wall ring that is really suitable for rugby balls - they could be balanced in the football rings, but this would be a precarious way of displaying them.

Does the way in which charity shops display their wares or utilises their shopfittings and retail displays have any impact on sales in the current economic climate?

During a recent shopping foray into a range of charity shops, I was surprised at how quiet they all seemed to be. One of the charity shops I visited recently noted that while numbers of shoppers visiting had increased since the financial crisis began, takings were actually down.

The range of charities represented on my excursion was an assorted mix that seem to fall into two main categories: Local - i.e. the local church, or hospice, etc. - and then there is what I call the mainstream - nationally recognised charities.

Some of the mainstream shops appear to have adopted a typical, countrywide look in their branding, down to colour co-ordination and colour-wheel-type segregation of their clothing; standardised shopfittings and carpets, with Managers trained in Retail. In short, a very slick, retail operation no different in principle to the main high-street chains.

By contrast, some of the local charity shops seem to be set up in whatever shop space is available. It can often be seen that the layout in the shop is random, much like a Bring and Buy, or Rummage Sale. It may be poorly, or unevenly lit; donated furniture and cabinets acting as the shop displays for Books and DVDs or ornaments, until the furniture unit is sold and a new display stand is required. In short, they make the best of what is available. Which is best? Well, as long as the charity is supported and gets the donations and business from the public it needs, it shouldn't matter a jot. Or does it?

For both retail and retail shopfittings suppliers, tt's been a hard year and its obvious how much the market has contracted. Are things stabilising?

Now, more than ever, those operating in the shopfitting sector will be hoping the answer is a reosunding yes.

Simply put, the year has been bad for some and tough for many. A look at this year's table of UK shopfitters shows the order of companies may look familiar, the size of the total market is small

Styles & Wood is at the top, but forecasting 40% drop in sales during the present year, followig a previous years fall of 25%. CEOs opf the top rankers have been hear to comment that It's tough. But the fall-off in our market has stopped and has now levelled off. Like-for-likes sales in the retail sector have been holding up well and for shopfitters,survival is about mainting sales."

RL Brooks is an electrical retailer based in Cumbria. They sell a variety of electrical goods; and specialise in televisions.

On their recent shopofit, they requested the shop was taken back to scratch and an entire new design for the store created.

The Result

The store was stripped down to basics and the fit out over a four day period carried out. They reopened the day after with a totally transformed look giving an improved customer experience.

After 1 month benefits are clear to owner, and our screens are now well presented and can be grouped according to size or brand. Trade is definitely up.

Because the interior of a shop is used to display goods for sale to the public, it must reflect a number of elements in order to get the most out of the display. The shop succeeds when it augments the nature of the business.
Slatwall panels are an excellent and versatile option for retailers.

Food and drink needs refrigeration and shelving to display frozen and dried foods in separate locations.
For clothing, we are going for visual appeal and vibrancy. Ideally you want to switch the customer on as soon as she enters the shop.

Today's versatility of fittings and display means that you can translate many great ideas into your shop.
Try to be consistent however. We don't want to confuse, merely enhance and excite.

Your designer will use CAD drawings to create a visual idea of the space and layout and will have to bear in mind the footfall expected so that the floor coverings can cope and retain their initial appeal.We don't want worn out and threadbare floor coverings after 1 years trade.

As a shop keeper you will want to dress and light your shop in the most attractive way for your target customers using suitable
shop fittings. Perhaps you are in the fashion market, or selling to mature ladies. But by targeting your clients in one particular way, you are deterring the other.You are seeking business and profit from one particular, apparently foregoing business from those outside your business spectrum. This may seem like you are giving up sales and the argument is no one would want to turn clients away.

But from a marketing point of view, you are right to focus on your target market because by doing so, you will hugely increase your appeal. Now you can make a statement about your company which will be far more distinct. There is a huge differentiation in lifestyles today and by focusing on what your target market aspires to or follows, you will be reaching out to them and showing how your shop offers them what they want.

There is no room in the market for another store selling the same as everyone else. You must differentiate to survive.If you are targetting the mature market then take some time to find out their values and what is important to them , apart from just the clothes you sell.Perhaps they really like a personal approach from a knowledgeable assistant or perhaps they prefer a completely different type of lighting.A suitable choice of shop fittings. can be made to suit.

You should take the time to do some serious research because, after you open your shop, it is far harder to change things at a later date.

So do not be concerned about targeting certain sections of the public, even if the number of young people in the uk declines. The fact is each market is huge and by appealing very strongly to your sector you profoundly increase your chances of long term success.