Mewscraft's new showroom opens its doors
Mewscraft impressive new showroom is now open at our offices in Monmouthshire.
The 650sq ft show space at Wyastone Business Park highlights an extensive range of modern optical and retail fittings. In addition, we now feature a wide range of lighting options set up to view as well as wall coverings and flooring options.
Following contemporary trends in optical interior design the new showroom features a variety of LED backlit displays and media screens.
The bright new space also doubles as an elegant and private meeting space where individual requirements can be discussed and projects organised.
To arrange a viewing call Mewscraft today on 01600 891 525.
Mewscraft’s new showroom opens its doors
Mewscraft impressive new showroom is now open at our offices in Monmouthshire.
The 650sq ft show space at Wyastone Business Park highlights an extensive range of modern optical and retail fittings. In addition, we now feature a wide range of lighting options set up to view as well as wall coverings and flooring options.
Following contemporary trends in optical interior design the new showroom features a variety of LED backlit displays and media screens.
The bright new space also doubles as an elegant and private meeting space where individual requirements can be discussed and projects organised.
To arrange a viewing call Mewscraft today on 01600 891 525.
The importance of customer flow
Customer flow enables you to focus on the movement and experience of your customers. In doing so, it provides you with a great insight into their journey which can in turn, help you develop your business. Small changes to a spatial layout can increase your sales by providing customers with a more satisfactory experience.
When clients ask us for a refurbishment they want to offer a new experience to their customers. When we design a layout that involves a space that has face-to-face dealings with customers. We don’t only think about the overall aesthetics (colours, finishes, lighting, etc.) we also need to imagine we are a customer within the space. A part of this exercise includes considering how we would feel and react in that environment, what would draw our attention and how we would move through the space.
The customer flow process encompasses the entire customer experience including the pre-arrival, when customer arrives on site, the service point and the after-service. These are all key areas to take into account within the design.
Every business has different target goals. Not all our clients are looking at increasing their sales, so first of all we need to know what their top priorities are:
- to increase sales?
- To increase customer satisfaction levels?
- To maximise staff efficiency?
Finding out what their needs are allows us to tailor the design and hopefully achieve this target goal.
A thorough analysis of our current clients situation may lead us to conclude how we could improve the customer flow, including the location of the existing entrance, the waiting area, reception area, the main retail area, how their products are displayed (by Price, target, sex, …) etc.
Designing a new practice isn’t just about how the space looks, it is equally important to design the space according to the customer journey.
Customers don’t just remember how a space looks, but how it makes them feel.
The Advantages of Employing a Project Manager
Taking on a shop fit or office refurbishment is not an easy task and can be costly, time-consuming and will always have an element of risk. The more complicated the project, the greater chance for potential issues to arise, including overspending and time delays.
Unless, of course, a Project Manager is there to take control.
The role of a project manager is to have the overall responsibility for the successful initiation, planning, design, execution, monitoring, controlling and closure of a project. They also have the ability to control all aspects of the project, including dealing with costs, safety and all contractors.
Many companies believe hiring a project manager means increased costs. This may be true in the short term but over a long term job a PM’s ability to deliver on schedule and within budget saves their clients both time and money. The experience and expertise a PM brings will often more than offset the additional cost of their salary.
There are several advantages of employing a project manager:
– Purchasing power; Knowledge of the sector and marketplace can help reduce costs and time, from employing the right contractors for the job to purchasing the right equipment at discounted rates.
– Avoiding pitfalls; In any job experience is key and in refurbishment it is essential. An experienced project manager will understand what pitfalls to avoid from the early design stages to help the project run smoothly.
– Project focus; A project manager will have sole focus on the project at hand, freeing up time for the client and allowing them to focus on other aspects of their business.
– One contact; The one and only contact during the project will be the project manager. They will deal with all other aspects including the contractors and deliveries to ensure all items on are site at the correct times.
– Quality control; The quality and final look of the project will be constantly overseen and approved by the project manager.
Ultimately a PM will control everything and see it through from the initial brief to completion whilst maintaining the highest quality throughout. By ensuring everyone is in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things, a project manager will help avoid redundancies, rework and costly mistakes.
The Importance of Furniture Design
The aesthetics of your furniture can make or break the style of your practice, so making sure you have the right look can mean everything. A piece of furniture can have so many different roles in the day to day running of your shop and it has to meet every demand made of it, whilst also ensuring it matches and compliments its surroundings.
As with all forms of design, furniture often follows either one of two avenues; Form driven or Function driven.
Furniture that follows form generally sets out with a desired aesthetic in mind, with concept designs based on design influences and mood boards. The Function is usually catered to as a secondary factor and the materials are chosen to match the desired style.
Furniture that follows function would be a piece that gets the job done, with no compromise. The aesthetic will purely follow function and materials are decided based on mechanical and budget factors.
Knowing which avenue you should go down or what mix of avenues you wish to follow, is one of the most important decisions you can make for the design of an interior space.
In a retail environment, it is imperative to get the blend of form and function so that you can attract, maintain and inspire your customers, whilst also ensuring they can be catered to in an effective and efficient manner.
The right reception desks, display stands or even coffee table in the waiting area, can affect how the customer perceives your entire business and your brand, so it’s important to make sure the design of your furniture perfectly matches the brand values you want to portray.
Invest in the sportswear trend and max out your sales
Sporting goods have seen impressive growth throughout 2015 as the UK rides the lingering success of the London 2012 Olympics and the resurgence of sportswear as a fashion item.
Sports clothing contributed to the biggest sales growth in UK shopping centres in the first half of 2015. From January to June 2015 sales were up by 12.2 per cent, nearly twice the growth of the next best category, Opticians, which saw sales rises of 6.3 percent based on figures by Savills.
This growth trend is set to continue throughout 2016 meaning now is the perfect time for opticians to invest in both their sportswear and their displays.
Mewscraft’s cutting edge Concept s shop-in-shop ‘sports shop’ display is the ideal addition to promote sports glasses in a contemporary and eye-catching way. Whether free standing or wall mounted the ‘Sport Shop’ displays can be customised to include a wind channel, back lit glass advice, daylight simulation, polarisation tests, and ski google supports for pin panels.
As more collaborations between the big sports brands and fashion designers and celebrities such as Adidas with Kanye West and Nike with Sacai are revealed, sporstwear is set for an amazing 2016.
Why not give us a call to discuss how you can optimise your sports sales in 2016.
Shining a light on retail design
Lighting is an extremely useful design tool within a retail environment, however, its significance is often underestimated.
When used correctly, a carefully considered lighting scheme will not only illuminate any chosen space and most importantly, your merchandise but it can also transform them.
Lighting can create different moods and atmospheres which appeal to your customers and can directly reflect the direction of your brand.
The first major decision to make is what mood you would like to represent within your space.
For your customers to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere, maximise the use of natural light and use fittings that emit soft diffuse warm glows. This appeals to your customer’s sense of familiarity, allowing them to feel comfortable within the space you have created.
Or on the other end of the lighting temperature spectrum using bright white high intensity light in a variety of directions to create a clean energetic environment.
This would be ideal for a youthful, high energy environment such as sportswear, or one which focuses on a clinical, fresh feeling such as a technology retailer, medical centre or opticians.
Generate drama and contrast within your space by layering ambient lighting with feature, directional and task lighting and play around with different intensities. All these different elements can help direct customer flow and enhance their journey through any given area.
Good lighting can also draw people into your space from the high-street and direct their attention to important areas with key merchandise or significant information.
Directional light is especially important within a retail environment as it will highlight your products and single out specific areas, these are usually spot lights illuminating your wall displays and islands.
Maximise the potential and impact of your space and merchandise by creating and utilising a unique lighting scheme that is specifically adapted to your surroundings, product and brand.
Mewscraft presents to Hoya
On December 7th Mewscraft were delighted to present to a distinguished optical audience at Hoya’s office headquarters in North Wales.
The day included a tour of their fantastic Wrexham based facility and the chance for our CEO Hal and designer Steph to take to the stage and deliver an informative and entertaining retail and office design presentation on Enhancing the Customer Experience.
Creating the presentation was a big ask alongside a busy work schedule, but the team pulled it off exceptionally with a slick slideshow, engaging speakers and brand new marketing packs to pull together the whole experience.
Hal and Steph really enjoyed the chance to highlight the benefits of a practice refit, from discussing customer flow, to colour schemes, lighting and even a video package from one of our esteemed clients Jude Edwards of Healthy U.
The Mewscraft team look forward to the chance to present again in the future.
Scott Wroe Hearing select Mewscraft for Penarth expansion project
Family owned, independent Hearing Centre, Scott Wroe Hearing is broadening it reach to a new Penarth location, Mewscraft are proud to be providing our services to complete the expansion.
The project is well underway and from the initial design concept Mewscraft has been focused on providing an exceptional finish for this premium hearing centre.
The new location highlights a new look for Scott Wroe Hearing with a warmer colour palette emphasizing a welcoming seating area and reception. Scott Wroe is focused on an exceptional and tailored customer service experience and Mewscraft are delighted to be able to bring this objective to life.
This project is set for completion before Christmas and will see Scott Wroe Hearing take on its 3rd premises.
Mewscraft supports Rodericks Dental diversification into Optical
Mewscraft are very pleased to announce the completion of the displays and furniture refit at Rodericks Optical in Buckingham.
The attractive new refit aims to help Rodericks break into the optical market by introducing a contemporary opticians into the existing dental practice.
This was a great project for Mewscraft as it allowed the design team to use their creativity to develop bespoke furniture to fit the space and specialist requirements and Rodericks are very happy with the results.
