The Client
Our client is a hugely successful retailer offering excellent prices for top class bathroom products including showers, toilets, baths, sinks and taps which are sold both online and in store. Physical stores are still very much the driving force of this business with many customers including homeowners, developers and merchants preferring to physically see touch and try out the products before they buy. The last fourteen months has seen the retailer open twenty-two new stores in major cities and towns around the country and is planning further new stores as part of a large scale roll out operation.
The Challenge
When sourcing new premises, the client looks for enough space to showcase their large bathroom items where in addition to baths and showers there is also a number of smaller accessories to display. They want to create the ultimate customer experience in every store and as space per square meter costs money in rates and rent, the retailer wittingly looks at how much vertical space a potential a new unit has to offer. Sufficient headroom usually permits the installation of a mezzanine floor allowing the retailer to nearly double their usable floor space in a cost effective way however, time is of the essence when planning the opening of a new store.
The WSL Solution
As soon as the unit plans become available, WSL begins an assessment to establish whether a mezzanine floor will fit and draw the mezzanine along with column and staircase positions to create the final store layout. When keys to new premises are handed over WSL immediately begin works to ensure the empty unit can start trading at the earliest opportunity. Within four weeks of the initial site visit the mezzanine is designed and manufactured in line with BS EN 1090 (CE Mark), then delivered where our team of professional installers are ready to begin their work. Not all of the units have particularly wide door openings so when these are narrow, WSL will have planned ahead ensuring specialist fork lift trucks are on site ready.
On opening, the new stores feature a retail mezzanine floor complete with a front-of-house staircase, stainless steel balustrade with glass infill panels and back-of-house escape stairs. The mezzanine floors are flawless and attractive whilst serving their purpose of providing additional rent free space to showcase top-quality products.
Over the last fourteen months WSL have fitted all twenty-two new stores with mezzanine floors providing the retailer with extra retail space totaling 4994 square meters to date. Every mezzanine floor is unique, varying in size, from 160 square meters to the largest one so far being 478 square meters. All mezzanines are designed to become the very heart of the retail store with the same decorative style and beautifully enhancing the space.
Retail Mezzanine Floors: Overview
No two retailers are the same in terms of décor and theme and this is not a problem for WSL. One client may opt for a white central staircase with steel balustrade, glass infill panels and tile floor finish whilst another may choose a wall-side staircase with black balustrade, mesh infill panels and a distinct red tread. Our clients may well be looking to create more retail space through an upper level platform however, customer experience and visual impact is also hugely important to them. Thankfully WSL has the ability to give retail stores the wow factor through our prestige design and manufacturing capabilities
The increasingly popular retail mezzanine floor should be celebrated for its ability to significantly increase usable floor space without the need to increase the initial footprint area. The semi-permanent upper level structure is open to a number of possible uses including additional sales areas, stock storage, offices or even a customer cafe. In essence a retail mezzanine floor is a practical and cost effective way to modernise and transform the original space, giving it a new airy feel and a pleasant overall view.
If you’re a retailer looking to maximise space within your retail unit our team can help. Call WSL today on 0113 2045350 or email sales@wslmail.co.uk .
