Mezzanine floors are ideal for retail environments. Whether you require an additional area for selling or increased storage capacity, a mezzanine floor is a flexible and cost-effective option which can quickly transform a retail space. In this post we discuss some of the benefits a mezzanine floor can bring to a business and the customer.
Increase Space Quickly Without Having To Relocate
Easily the biggest benefit of a retail mezzanine floor is the potential of increased space area for selling and displaying products. Additionally, if you require extra storage for stock, a mezzanine can be a great way to expand existing storage facilities without having to move to a larger premises. Moving to new premises is costly and time consuming, having a mezzanine floor eliminates this worry, additionally they can be installed speedily without any extra cost.
Fully Customisable To Your Own Space
Our mezzanine floors are built unique to each clients specification and designed to fit seamlessly within the stores arrangement. We encourage our clients to match the floor style to their branding, colour schemes and logo. This is particularly important within retail environments when businesses rely on aesthetics to enhance their branding and drive customers through the door.
Improve Customer Satisfaction And Increase Sales!
An overcrowded shop-floor makes it difficult for customers to find what they are looking for and may lead to a negative and stressful experience for the customer. A mezzanine floor will allow retailers to spread their stock out and display items easily and more effectively – ultimately increasing sales!
At Hi-Level we provide everything you need for a functional and cost-effective mezzanine floor, from initial quotation through to installation – get in touch to find out how we can help you transform your retail space.
Take a look at our retail case studies here
Ready to get in touch? Request a quote or call us on +44 (0) 1730 190
Retail Mezzanine Floor For Jollyes – The Pet Food Superstore
The Client & Challenge
Hi-Level were chosen to provide the mezzanine floor element as part of a larger store refurbishment for Jollyes – The Pet Food Superstore for their branch in Tonbridge, Kent.
Jollyes are one the UK’s largest pet supplies stores. Founded in 1971, Jollyes now operates 61 chains across the country specialising in everything pets from food to accessories.
The Criteria
The client required a mezzanine to provide additional retail space whilst housing a small grooming facility ‘The Pamper & Groom Spa’. The mezzanine was also required to accommodate a new staff room and toilet facilities.
The final requirements of the mezzanine floor project were detailed as follows:
- Mezzanine Floor – 11m x 12.5m
- 2 Staircases – 1 Feature at the front and 1 Standard at the back
- Glass Balustrade
The Solution & Result
The project was completed over a week and finished in August 2017. All aspects of the build remained within the allocated time-frames and a high-quality finish resulting in a visually pleasing but practical new retail space for the client.
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
Three Tier Floor For Online Retail Giant ASOS
The Client & Challenge
To provide a practical solution for expanding the scope of the client’s current automation and warehousing process.
The Criteria
The overall purpose of the project was to create space for several new conveyor systems, provide additional storage and overall streamline the automation process inside the client’s current distribution centre. The client, a global leader in online retail, maintained production during the building work to ensure demand continued to be met.
The Solution & Result
The project was divided into three phases which involved the design and installation of a three tier mezzanine floor. The new floor was specifically designed to connect to an existing structure within the distribution centre.
- Phase 1 – 4,500m², 3-tier, 1st level maintenance of conveyors, 2nd level storage, 3rd level storage
- Phase 2 – 2,000m², single tier, maintenance of conveyors
- Phase 3 – 2,300m², single tier, maintenance of conveyors
The project was completed over a 4-month period, finishing in April 2017. Hi-Level were among several providers including electricians, conveyor manufacturers, fire protection services and integrators all contributing to the overall scheme.
Hi-Level Project Manager Adrian Williams reflects on the project, “This project was multi-phased and involved working within a busy warehouse environment. Over the 14 phases we faced considerable challenges that we ultimately overcame with careful consideration and planning. As always Health and Safety was a prime concern for us, particularly with several tradesmen working within the same area at one time. Overall, we are happy with how the project went, each main phase was completed on time and we accomplished the client’s original brief of creating space for the new conveyor systems”.
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
How Mezzanine Floors Are Helping Retailers Adapt To E-Commerce
According to the most recent figures, internet usage in the UK is at an all time high, with over 90% of the UK’s 64.91 million people regularly using the internet.
This rise in internet usage, spurred on by the invention of smart phones and tablets, has come with an exciting growth in the world of online shopping, or e-commerce as it is known. In fact, online sales in the UK now account for at least 12% of all the retail sales in the UK – bricks and mortar shops included.
Indeed, many businesses now purely sell their goods online with no physical retail units at all. Companies like Amazon, Boohoo, ASOS, Moonpig and even former physical retailers like Littlewoods and Sony now only sell their wares online, while many of those companies who have retained their high street locations are seeing an ever growing proportion of their revenue springing from the products they sell online.
However, for those companies who are seeing their businesses transition towards e-commerce there are many challenges to overcome. Moving from a bricks and mortar shop to an online store can be a difficult prospect and companies commonly face hurdles of creating a quality online experience with fully developed marketing, social media and sales approaches. But quite often the biggest conundrum comes in how to fulfil orders as the business grows.
As seen by fashion retailer ASOS, growth can come thick and fast for online retailers. Launched in 2002 the online retailer began their business at a time when clothing sales online were relatively low. Now in 2017 the business ships to over 200 territories and sells as many as 300,000 dresses every single week.
One of the key aspects of developing an online business that can sustain this kind of growth is order fulfilment and in particular the adaptability of their warehouses. Warehouses need to be able to receive, sort and store goods and be able to pick, pack and deliver in the shortest amount of time possible. However, there are all kinds of variables that come with online shopping and warehouses must be able to respond quickly to seasonal demand, new trends and unexpected demand for products.
One of the best ways to respond to this type of demand is to have a mezzanine floor installed. A mezzanine floor can be installed quickly in your warehouse, making the most of the vertical space you have that would normally go unused.
This space can be used for a variety of functions, whether as a storage area, picking and packing area, a place to do paperwork, or even staff amenities such as toilets and lunch break rooms. All of which can help your business to become more efficient and well organised.
Get in touch with us today – Request a quote or call us on +44 (0) 1730 190
Storage Floor For Popular Gift and Homeware Brand
The Challenge
We came together with STS Storage to construct large floor for London based gift and homeware brand.
The Criteria
After growth in sales the client was keen to increase their storage capacity and decided a mezzanine floor would be the most practical solution for their new warehouse.
The Solution
- To build a mezzanine floor of 61m x 18.5 m x 3.35 m.
- Three staircases allow for minimum congestion.
- To include underside fire protection.
- Link the new floor to the existing 1st floor office area.
- Extra ancillaries include handrail and pallet gates.
The Result
In April 2016 the project was wrapped up in under 3 weeks during a ‘fast track’ installation process, and as you can see from the images we are very pleased with the end result!
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
Two-Storey Showroom Floor For Absolute Music
Absolute Music
Absolute Music is one of the UK’s leading retailers of specialist recording and musical equipment.
The Project
The client moved into a new, two storey 14,000 square foot superstore in Bournemouth following a comprehensive refit of the premises.
We worked with its storage systems partner to design the new mezzanine floor with access staircase and balustrade in the main retail showroom.
All requirements for regulatory fire protection were incorporated into the design and the installation also included a galvanized exterior fire escape at the rear of the building.
The materials for the mezzanine were provided by ourselves, with their customer carrying out the installation.
Client Feedback
Sales Director of Absolute Music, Andy Legg: “This project has run smoothly and delivered us a showroom we are proud of. We are very pleased with the results”.
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
Major Multi-National Retailer Construction
The Challenge
A multinational retailer, which designs, produces and distributes branded fashion clothing for men and women through a network of branded retail stores in the UK, Europe and North America, wished to consolidate its warehousing operations.
In an effort to streamline its operations and bring stock control back in-house, the retailer decided to relocate the staff, resources and stock from two third party distributor sites located in East London to a third warehouse. To do so, it was necessary to maximise the internal space at the site by multi-tiering the interior space.
The Criteria
The retailer put out a tender for a two-tier mezzanine floor measuring 30 metres wide by 90 metres long which would take a load of 4.8 kN/m². This had to incorporate four staircases and seven pallet gates on the first floor, and a variable column grid to include a single column spacing which was wider than the others running through the centre of the ground floor.
This column had to provide six metres clearance for the storage and manoeuvrability of a bespoke machine. In addition, cut-outs had to be incorporated into the mezzanine floor to allow garments to be transported from the ground to the top floor and allowances made for a garment conveyor belt system.
The Solution
Hi-Level’s customer invited wholesale mezzanine floor suppliers to partner with it to pitch for the warehouse contract. Because of the nature of the build, they sought a specialist provider that would be able to deliver to the prescribed specifications. It considered proposals submitted by Davicon and Hi-Level Mezzanines Ltd.
The customer selected Hi-Level based in part on its previous experience of working with us as we have worked on a variety of projects over the past six years. “We knew from previous experience that Hi-Level could fulfil the task. We trade with them very often so we’re very relaxed about that,” said the Sales Director.
Hi-Level designed a fourteen week programme of work that detailed precisely which elements of the build would be completed and when. But the overriding factor was down to Hi-Level’s competitive quote. This was in part due to the in-house design management system Hi-Level has developed, called QD3 Pro, which automatically works out the best design for the floor given the technical and operating parameters within the design brief. This factored in current steel prices, manufacturing and installation team availability, using a single set of data supplied by the customer at the quotation stage of the project.
Hi-Level also worked on specifications for the building regulations process. In addition to incorporating all of the specified design features, Hi-Level included top of the range products such as Class ‘O’ Spreader Flame decking which would meet the stringent fire safety and health and safety rulings imposed on the conversion by the local planning authorities. “They provided us with the necessary drawings and calculations which we in turn passed on to the customer,” said Lilley.
The Implementation
Hi-Level undertook the sourcing and manufacturing of materials plus the installation of the floor while their customer were on site project managing. There were five development phases to the mezzanine build. In addition, Hi-Level also coordinated its activities with the other building contractors. “Lighting, sprinklers, other electrical works, smoke detection systems, they were all going on at the same time. And a lot of those services ran through the mezzanine floor levels so Hi-Level released areas of the floor to them when they were completed,” explained the customer’s Sales Director.
Throughout the building process, Hi-Level had many channels of communication with their customer allowing them to benefit from the supplier’s expertise. “They provided us with technical advice in terms of determining what the floor loading would be and how much it could take to enable the main contractor to work on the floor. And in terms of liaison on site and doing the job it was very helpful. We had a weekly chat with the guys that were on site actually building it,” said the customer.
Plus they had regular contact with the Sales and Marketing team back at base. “The service offered was most helpful because we had one primary point of contact and our account manager gave us a consistent line of communication. We get costings via the office through him and he came to see us to check we were getting what we needed when we needed it,” they explained.
Hi-Level has also provided customer after-care, returning to site to address any issues. “If there was a sharp edge that was just an oversight, they organised the guys that installed the floors to come back in and clean-up and tidy these edges. In the last three months if there has been a specific problem or difficulty they have organised someone to come back in and take a look at it,” he praised.
Results
The mezzanine floor was completed by Hi-Level on budget and two weeks ahead of schedule in just under twelve weeks. This achievement illustrates the effective working relationship between Hi-Level and its customer which ultimately paid dividends for the retail customer.
Centralising the warehouse and distribution facilities has enabled the retailer to benefit from reduced overheads, economies of scale and has provided it with a single site in the UK from which to provision its network of branded retail stores and department store franchises.
The installation of the mezzanine infrastructure in the leased premises allowed the company to design the interior to its precise needs. It is now able to utilise state of the art technology, such as a conveyor and hanging garment storage system, as a result. And the site has provided it with a pleasant, efficient and profitable environment from which to coordinate UK operations.
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
Automation Mezzanine Floor For Next Retail Distribution Centre
The Client
Next is one of the UK’s best known fashion retailers. They were converting a warehouse into a new distribution centre at Wath Upon Dearne, near Rotherham.
The Project
Next contracted with one of Hi-Level’s distributors, who subsequently brought us on board as their mezzanine supplier. The distributor acted as the interface with the client, overseeing the complete design co-ordination process, while Hi-Level provided the mezzanine design and carried out the installation.
The project included a two-tier, 24,000²m mezzanine floor capable of bearing a load of 6kN/m² to support a specialist conveyor belt sortation system that transports goods around the warehouse in preparation for dispatch to stores and mail order customers.
The sortation system was installed above the mezzanine floor on all three levels, while cable trays from the external electricity supply were channelled under the floor to feed specific areas. Both requirements necessitated the use of additional joists at key sections of the floor and specialist knowledge.
The mezzanine design comprised fire protection, including staircase enclosures – The images show the scale of this floor!
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
Design and Construction of Mezzanine Floor For DKNY Retail Space
The Challenge
To supply, deliver and install a single tier mezzanine floor complete with a general access staircase, double mid landing and handrail for DKNY.
The Criteria
Hi-Level Mezzanines Ltd and the distributor were required to supply, delivery and install a 128m2 floor for an international retail client. They had to produce a solution for working within a site that had not only restricted access, but other issues associated with working within the confines of a shopping mall. The floor specification was needed to support a 4.8kn/m2 loading and was required to have a finished floor level of 3.980m. Stability was achieved through portalised sway frames so not to restrict free movement below the mezzanine with vertical bracing
The Solution
Due to the restrictions onsite Hi-Level used a fork truck to offload the materials and used a genie lifting device for the installation because of the tight confines of the shopping mall.
The Result
The mezzanine floor was completed in September 2014 after 3 days onsite. The project was completed on time and within budget. The Hi-Level Project Manager said ‘This was a project with a quick turn around, delivered on time and on budget for an international retail client. We were pleased with the final result and happy that the client appreciated our professionalism and efficient working manner”.
Hi-Level Mezzanines distributor, said ‘The job was completed very efficiently and in a professional manner’.
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
2000m² Floor for VOW Retail
The Client & Challenge
To supply, deliver and install a single tier mezzanine floor within the ‘Goods In’ area for VOW Retail. The floor would extend from the existing mezzanine floor to the 2 hour fire wall at the opposite side of the warehouse all whilst keeping the conveyors running throughout the build period.
Hi-Level’s Project Manager commented “When I first saw the warehouse working in full flow I thought this install would be ‘challenging‘ to say the least”.
The Criteria
The customer required a single tier mezzanine floor measuring 2,023m² with a floor level of 6.5m. The floor needed to be installed directly over a working goods in /out department which would continue to run during the build. The floor was required to take a load of 5kN/m2 with back to back joists that were up-rated for conveyor loads.
The Solution
Hi-Level were chosen based on previous experience: “We used Hi Level before during an extension to our existing mezzanine floor and found them very professional“. Hi-Level planned a six week programme of work that detailed precisely which elements of the build would be completed and when. This was in part due to the in-house design management system Hi-Level has developed, called QD4 Pro, which automatically works out the best design for the floor given the technical and operating parameters within the design brief. This factored in current steel prices, manufacturing and installation team availability, using a single set of data supplied by Vasanta at the quotation stage of the project.
The Implementation
Once both parties were happy with the programme of work, installation commenced in November 2013.
Hi-Level undertook the design, sourcing and manufacturing.
Please get in touch with our sales team if you have any questions regarding previous projects.
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