First impressions count

First impressions count

Whether you’re embarking on a new business venture, refreshing your existing premises or expanding your take-out setup to include a dine-in option, right from the concept stage it’s essential to give your retail space careful consideration, advise the sector’s design and t-out companies.

DECIDING FACTORS

“It’s no secret that the customer’s first impression is often the deciding factor on whether they choose to come in, stay or look elsewhere. A well designed store concept and considered layout will not only help you attract more customers, but it will also ensure you stand out from your competition and win the battle for customer loyalty - ultimately making your business more profitable,” says Jane Waugh, marketing & client manager at Retail Design Experience.

“A well executed space will create a unique and authentic environment that reflects the brand and identity of your business, whilst a considered layout will ensure a functional, efficient and workable space – all of which cater to needs of both those visiting and operating in the space.

“The design of your seating, lighting, entrance, counter, furniture, materials and finishes and colours all impact on the customer experience, so need careful consideration, and most crucially, they need to be aligned with your brand. Getting even one of these elements wrong can impact negatively on the customer experience that you’re looking to achieve.

“To achieve an effective retail environment, irrespective of whether you’re selling food and beverages, products or services, there are many design fundamentals that need to be in place. While the customer experience covers each step through the store, every touchpoint and interaction is made up of different retail design elements. Every business is unique, but they all share a common goal – to win customers, increase sales and instil customer loyalty.

“So, before you engage with a shopfitter or building contractor, talk to a retail design specialist about the design of your space and the creation of space plans and technical drawings. These are the key components to ensure your shop re-fit is skilfully designed, costed accurately, and crucially, delivered to the right specification.

“We’ve helped businesses of every shape and size to improve their retail experience – from global brands to tiny start-ups - and along the way we’ve learned that the smaller the space, the more creative the design needs to be. Our recent design for an independent dessert café start-up is a great example. Our brief was to create a contemporary space with a touch of playfulness, whilst still delivering on café practicality.

“The design of booth and banqueting seating provided a quirky design feature, however it still ensured that the space works for the broad range of customers visiting the café. The booths were inspired by 1970’s American diners, whilst mesh grills and illuminated icons added a modern twist, and timber panelling helped to create a sense of warmth throughout the space. Whether it’s a relaxed and comfortable stay or a quick coffee and cake – the spaces deliver a refined and contemporary design with a hint of playfulness.”

ENERGY EFFICIENT DISPLAY

Using optimised display equipment is another way to help drive significant sales, whilst effectively balancing the dramatic energy cost increases that businesses have witnessed in recent months, say sector supplier, Fri-Jado.

This potential uplift in sales, combined with an effective way to manage energy consumption, is seen as a win-win situation for operators when planning a redesign, and with grab and go foods often being served throughout the day, hot and cold display equipment can be some of the most energyhungry appliances. As such, including the latest efficient technology and sustainable equipment in a redesign or new fit-out can help a business to achieve savings in the long run.

“We design our counters and display equipment to be ‘all about the food’,” says Gary Thacker, sales director at equipment supplier, Fri-Jado UK.

“Of course, creating the perfect storage conditions and reducing energy consumption is crucial for front of house equipment, but if the customer is unable to clearly see and be tempted to purchase the food within, then sales won’t achieve their full potential over the life of the unit. Our equipment portfolio has been designed to display food in the most irresistible way, while innovative, patented technology gives the operator the peace of mind that their customers can enjoy their food just the way it was intended.

“Our Modular Convenience Counters (MCC) are the perfect example of our commitment to achieving the best. Having undertaken extensive research and development directly with operators, we have combined the latest state of the art airflow technology, with standout design and remarkably thin shelves to create a range of modular hot and cold counters that really do put food in the spotlight.

“This range uses several innovative green technologies to deliver impressive savings. Take our cold counter. Using eco-friendly refrigerant, R290, with its low global warming potential (3GWP), combined with our patented OmniCold low-velocity air flow, the unit delivers precise holding temperatures, with minimal energy consumption. What’s more, our MCC Cold cabinets are some of the only models on the market to be certified to a 3M1 standard.

“Giving extra peace of mind to operators, the classification demonstrates that the MCC Cold units are tested to climate class 3 (24°c ambient up to 60% relative humidity) and product class M1 (product temperature range -1°C - +5°C). This classification is representative of the conditions the equipment is likely to face when in a busy front-of-house environment.

“The technology is equally as impressive in the Fri-Jado MCC hot units. Using our patented Hot Blanket holding system, air curtain technology and hot air recycling per shelf, the units achieve ongoing energy savings of up to 40%.

“What is more, the MCC range is constructed from high-quality, durable components, extending the operational life of the units. When the appliances reach the end of their usable lifecycle, they are up to 99% recyclable – further helping the environment in the process.

“The technology found in the OmniCold and Hot Blanket holding system is not only designed to be efficient, but also to keep foods fresher for longer by preserving optimum conditions. This has been shown to have a substantial effect on the quality and on amount of food waste, something that proves to be good for the environment and for profits too.”

OPTIMISING SPACE AND ENHANCING SALES

“A crucial element to enticing customers to purchase sandwiches and popular food to go items is making foods look irresistible. Whether a site uses eye-catching packaging or writes tempting menus, the purchase decision will ultimately rest on how easy it is for the customer to see the product,” adds Gary Thacker.

“The Fri-Jado MCC range has been designed to offer a complete 360° view of your foods, providing up to 30% more display surface and up to 75% more product visibility with the highest TDA (Total Display Area). For even greater display capability, the MCC Cold uses slim, transparent, and adjustable shelves which appear to be floating, creating the ultimate food experience for your customers.

“Featuring a new ultra-slim and ergonomic shelf design, the MCC range puts the food in the spotlight and is available in several formats and sizes, including self-serve, serve over, standalone or inline configurations to help meet the bespoke requirements of each site.”

FASHION MEETS FUNCTIONALITY

Furniture is another key aspect to store fit-out, being far more than just functional, say sector supplier, Trent Furniture. It tells the story of your venue and creates that all-important first impression for your customers. From the layout to the design and style you choose, your customers can tell a lot about your venue from the moment they enter, and with food to go more available than ever, it’s even more important to set yourself apart from your competitors, they argue.

“This means it’s worth giving furniture some serious thought. When done well, your layout and furniture can turn one-time visitors into repeat customers, maximising the number of people you can accommodate and giving you the edge over the competition. All of this can help your business grow and ultimately add to the bottom line,” says Sarah Gechie, furniture specialist at Trent Furniture.

“When it comes to designing and furnishing your venue, it’s important to choose furniture that reflects your brand and appeals to your target customer base. After all, the furniture you install plays a key role in creating your identity by signifying what you are all about and the type of dining experience you offer.

“This is something that has been executed with huge success at Hickory’s in York. With a menu featuring an extensive selection of American inspired dishes including burgers, hotdogs, buffalo wings and shakes, they designed an interior representative of the typical 1950s American Diner. With bench seating and chairs supplied by us, they implemented an iconic red and white colour scheme, contrasting piping and deep padded booth style seating.”

Of course, there are practical elements to consider alongside aesthetics and style, acknowledge Trent. Whilst storage, maintenance and functionality may be a less exciting topic of conversation, there is no doubt that they are crucial factors when it comes to your outlet’s furniture.

“Stackable furniture gives maximum flexibility when furnishing a space in the food to go market as it eliminates issues you may have with storage. It’s likely you won’t need all of your furniture out all of the time. Stackable furniture is often lightweight and easy to move around. This is a game changer when it comes to re-inventing your layout or catering to different sized groups of customers,” explains Sarah Gechie.

“Another important factor to consider when thinking about furniture is maintenance. A melamine tabletop is easy to keep clean, durable and hygienic. But if you can’t resist the beauty of natural wood products, make sure they are coated with a protective lacquer and only use recommended cleaning products. There is nothing worse than a sticky table smeared with the last customer’s leftovers! Set yourself up for quick turnarounds where surfaces can be sanitised and ready again in no time at all. The same goes for seating. Our specialists at Trent Furniture recommend metal, wood, or plastic chairs, but if you love the idea of padded seats and upholstery, then a faux leather or vinyl can be both pretty and practical.

“The recently refurbished Buffer Stop Café at Kirklees Light Railway (pictured), for instance, manages to achieve both charm and functionality with the Bella Chair from our range. This popular family visitor attraction that hosts special events throughout the year, chose Tolix-inspired seating. The Bella Chair is contemporary in style and made of high quality steel, while also being easy to clean and fully stackable, proving that furniture can be functional, sustainable and stylish.”

SUSTAINABLE STYLE

In a time when we are all doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint, ditching the use of plastic straws in the hospitality industry simply isn’t enough anymore. Customers expect positive action to eliminate single use plastic and they want to see responsible operators finding innovative ways to reduce food waste and committing to investment in more energy efficient equipment. But how does this affect the interior design and furniture of your business? Well, first of all, it influences where you buy furniture from. Always source your furniture from a reputable and responsible supplier, advise Trent. Wooden furniture should be eco-friendly, and you can look for the recyclable symbol when it comes to plastic or polypropylene products.

The new polypropylene range from Trent Furniture, for example, has been designed for commercial use. This means it has been created with longevity and durability as a priority, but it has also been designed with environmental impact in mind. Developed to be able to stand the test of time, the products are strong and robust. But as is the case with all furniture, eventually it will require replacing, so this range of chairs is environmentally manufactured and fully recyclable.

One thing is certain, furniture designed for contract use in a busy hospitality environment is going to last much longer than a similar chair or table which is intended for a home setting. So, not only is it kinder to the environment to invest in durable contract furniture, but it’s also better for your bank balance when you’re not having to replace your furniture six months down the road, claim Trent. And if you want to go even further to reduce your carbon footprint, you could consider upcycling your existing furniture with new fabric rather than replacing it altogether.

“Sustainability is extremely important to all of us,” says Robert Price, Trent Furniture’s managing director. “That’s why we introduced our re-upholstery service. Sometimes the bones of a chair are in perfectly good condition, but the upholstery has seen better days. We have the skills and equipment at our factories to be able to reupholster your old chairs and give them a brand-new lease of life.”

PICKING UP THE TAB

Making your funds go further is not as simple as finding the cheapest deal and squeezing as much furniture into the space as possible, feel Trent. This might seem like the obvious way to achieve the best return on investment, but the reality is it will make the space feel cramped and uninviting, so risks having the opposite effect of driving customers away, they warn.

Instead, start by taking measurements of the space and sketch out a simple floorplan. Hiring a professional designer can be pricey, so you can really optimise your budget by doing this yourself. Visit similar establishments for ideas and don’t forget that the internet is packed with useful design resources too.

A good place to start is by deciding whether round or square tables work best, they advise. If you are starting from scratch, then compact furniture pieces and tables with round tops and smaller dimensions can often be more cost-effective and help to make the most of a small area.

Tabletops come in all sizes but they don’t need to be huge for casual dining, so between 60cm and 70cm is perfect for a food to go environment, suggest Trent. If you already have furniture but are looking to refresh and re-invent your venue, then you don’t have to spend a fortune to create a brand new look – simply replacing the tops of your tables can completely transform a space.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

“When you have an idea of what you want, contact furniture suppliers to ask for a quote. A furniture supplier that deals speci cally with contract furniture is likely provide better value for money. They might o er packages and bulk discount deals, so ask them about any special o ers,” says Sarah Gechie.

“If funds are tight, then o the shelf furniture will be much more coste ective than having bespoke furniture manufactured and installed. And it doesn’t mean to say you will be limited in options. Trent Furniture have an in-house upholstery team for their seating range, so you can choose a frame and customise it to suit your interior. From fabric choices to wood nishes the options are endless.”

Furniture that can be used both indoors and outdoors is a clever money saving solution for operators and an e cient way to optimise the budget, the company point out.

“Budget and sustainability were two of the main drivers behind developing our ‘Indoor-Outdoor’ range,” adds Robert Price. “Made from recyclable materials, it also o ers excellent value for money.”