Retail Success Starts at the Door: Why Entrance Matting Matters This Christmas
The Christmas season is coming, and shops are gearing up for their busiest time of the year. The combination of high footfall and bad weather poses one of the biggest challenges at this time of year, especially for the retail industry.
Every winter there is a risk of dirt and moisture being tracked into buildings, soiling the interior floors, which not only looks unsightly but also causes slip hazards. This can also leave facility managers facing a hike in maintenance costs and/or needing to make costly flooring replacements in the new year.
How can this be prevented? By ensuring you have correctly specified barrier matting in place.
Why is barrier matting needed in shops?
An effective barrier matting system, when specified correctly, significantly reduces the amount of dirt and moisture tracked into a building and will help to minimise the risk of slip accidents caused by wet flooring. It can also help to reduce maintenance costs, and improve the appearance of internal floorcoverings.
Barrier matting works by capturing and retaining the dirt and moisture that people track into the building before it can venture further inside. Coarse fibres and PVC wipers on the entrance mat scrape off dirt particles from shoe soles and wheels, before a secondary layer absorbs moisture.
Meanwhile, beneath the surface, a reservoir or backing traps and holds the removed dirt and water, preventing it from re-entering circulation.
Gradus barrier matting systems are not just used at a buildings entrance and access points but also within interior areas that are subject to increased risk of soiling and heavy traffic, particularly circulatory areas. For optimum protection in medium and heavy traffic areas, it is recommended to specify a combination of primary and secondary barrier matting.
In line with Building Regulations and British Standards, barrier matting is required to help provide safe access for all users of buildings, including wheelchair users, keeping in line with the Equality Act 2010.
What are the different types of barrier matting used in retail environments?
There are several types of Gradus barrier matting available, and the average retail environment needs a combination of these to achieve an optimal solution, which is best approached by zoning areas within the space.
Zone 1 refers to exterior matting, usually placed outside main entrances. The recommended solution would be primary barrier matting with a plain wiper suited to outdoor use such as Esplanade or Tyreguard. This is the first line of defence in preventing tracked in dirt and moisture by Christmas shoppers and will remove the worst of the debris before they even set foot in the store. When specifying barrier matting at main entrances, it is important to take into account the type and amount of traffic expected to help identify what level of protection is required.
Zone 2 refers to interior entrances and access points, just inside the main entrances. The recommended barrier matting solutions for these areas are Primary and/or Hybrid barrier matting. Here the products specified would be Esplanade, Topguard, Tyreguard, Mat in a Box or Access as each of these systems will protect the interior of the store or shopping centre. The system that would be specified would depend on the amount and type of traffic you would expect to receive.
Zone 3 requires a different format of barrier matting. Access points such as circulatory areas and internal entrances require added protection that carpet may not provide, and this is where secondary barrier matting comes in. Secondary barrier matting can be used as a standalone product in either sheet or tile format, or used at zone 2 entrances in conjunction with primary and/or hybrid barrier matting for added protection. Gradus Boulevard secondary barrier matting is available in different specifications to suit different types and volumes of traffic.
The final zone, Zone 4 refers to communal areas such as break rooms and lift lobbies. We would recommend Boulevard secondary barrier matting for these areas. As these areas are known to have high traffic at intervals throughout the day, Boulevard would help prevent damage to the floor by acting as a hard-wearing carpet solution.
For a quick, but efficient solution, we recommend a modular matting system such Mat-in-a-Box, perfect for on-site installation with a simple click system which can be cut on site. Mat-in-a-Box can also be mounted on the surface of a floor or into a matwell frame and offers a convenient and efficient way to install barrier matting, with minimal disruptions to day-to-day business activity.
See specification in action - Broadway Shopping Centre
A well specified barrier matting system is key to maintaining the flooring within a retail space. Installers for the Broadway Shopping Centre enlisted our help in specifying the correct amount and type of barrier matting for their traffic needs, and is the perfect example of how to combine barrier matting options in an effective way.
The Broadway Shopping Centre, in the heart of Bradford, is a hive of activity with over 80 retailers and a six-screen cinema. With this in mind, a robust barrier matting system suitable for high levels of traffic was required to protect internal floorcoverings.
Gradus’ Esplanade 6000 primary barrier matting along with Boulevard 6000 wipers was installed at five different main entrances, providing an ideal matting solution for such a busy environment.
Esplanade 6000 was the perfect solution for The Broadway shopping centre as it is a durable matting system designed to withstand heavy foot and wheeled traffic, which helps to provide an inclusive environment for all visitors.
So what did our customer have to say?
Dave Downes, Deputy Centre Manager at The Broadway, commented: “We needed to specify a durable matting solution that could cope with the high number of daily visitors which we experience at The Broadway. We are delighted with the standard of the new matting installed. It gives the entrances a sleek, modern and professional appearance, creating a welcoming first impression to visitors.”
At Gradus, we understand that time can be of the essence, which is why we offer a five day manufacturing service across a selection of our best-selling matting products, allowing for a quick turnaround. Once orders are placed, our dedicated team are in place ready to manufacture your matting for dispatch within five working days (T&C’s apply). For further information on this service, speak to one of our technical specialists on 01625 428922.
Need further guidance on your next matting project? We not only have dedicated matting experts who can advise you on the best matting to choose, but also sector specialists, who can support you with guidance tailored to education, healthcare and more. To speak to one of our experts, please call us or email imail@gradus.com.
To find out more about our services and products for retail, download a copy of our Retail Brochure here
If you need support or guidance for your next retail project, contact us here