Why Sliding Doors are Perfect for Retail Outlets
As the owner of a retail establishment, you’ll know that there’s a lot to consider when it comes to running a successful business. You’ll need to choose the perfect product to sell, offer affordable prices and employ a team of friendly sales assistants in order to maintain a positive business reputation - but that’s not all. There is, of course, more to running a retail establishment than considering the inside of your shop.
If you really want to create a brilliant customer experience while protecting your premises from the outside world, you’ll also need to consider the design of your retail establishment. From your window displays to your shop sign, there are many factors to consider when it comes to impressing customers and staying ahead of the competition. One design feature that certainly shouldn’t be overlooked is your retail outlet’s door, as this is the first and last thing your customers will interact with.
Whether you manage a large supermarket or an independent boutique, making sure you’ve chosen the perfect set of doors is essential to running a successful retail business. While there are many options available, one particularly popular choice for retail outlets is to invest in sliding doors . Sliding doors are perfect for retail establishments in many ways, as we discuss here:
They’re a stylish alternative to traditional doors
When you work in retail, making sure your shopfront looks inviting is essential to attracting customers’ attention. A stylish shopfront is your opportunity to get people through the doors of your shop and increase your sales, so it’s extremely important to make sure you focus on the design of your retail establishment as well as the experience you’re offering inside.
Fortunately, installing sliding doors is a simple yet effective way to increase the kerb appeal of your retail outlet. Automatic sliding doors instantly make a place look more modern and upscale - especially when fitted with panes of reinforced glass - which are key qualities that customers will look for when deciding whether or not to browse through your shop.
For this reason, it’s imperative to think carefully about the type of doors you choose for your retail establishment and not leave this decision as an afterthought. An old-fashioned or poorly-maintained set of doors can tarnish the look of your entire shopfront, whereas a set of sleek sliding doors can help create a great first impression.
They’re convenient and customer-friendly
Another great benefit to installing sliding doors in your retail outlet is the fact they’re so convenient. In addition to making sure your shopfront looks stylish, another important part of creating a great customer experience is ensuring that your retail premises are accessible and easy to navigate for all customers - and sliding doors can certainly help you achieve this.
When you opt for automatic sliding doors, your customers will be able to enter and leave your premises seamlessly, without having to stop and open the door themselves. This may seem like a small thing to think about, but it’s extremely important to make sure you’re considering accessibility when designing a retail outlet. After all, your shop should be accessible to everyone, including individuals who use a wheelchair or have any other mobility issues that might make it challenging to open a push and pull door.
Sliding doors mean that every customer can enter and leave your shop without concern, making their shopping experience much more pleasant and hassle-free. By making your retail establishment much easier to access, you’ll invite a broader range of customers inside and create a safe, inclusive environment for everyone - something that is extremely important when running a successful business.
As we’ve just discussed, automatic sliding doors are one of the most convenient types of door for retail establishments. This is because they’re designed to be extremely customer-friendly - in fact, your customers won’t even need to touch them! As a result, they’re also extremely easy to maintain, as fewer people touching them means a reduced chance of breakages or damage occurring.
When your doors are being opened multiple times a day (or even hundreds or thousands of times a day, depending on the size of your retail establishment), there’s always the risk that problems will develop over time. Your customers likely won’t be paying much attention to how they open or close the door, and you may find that the latches and the door handle start to deteriorate as a result of general wear and tear.
With sliding doors, however, the chances of this are minimal. The doors will be opened automatically by an electrical component, reducing the risk of human error causing damage and breakages. As a business owner, it’ll be of the utmost importance to keep your shopfront in the best possible condition and avoid having to make any repairs, as this will cost you time, money and stress.
They’re hygienic and easy to clean
In terms of maintenance, sliding doors are also easy to keep
clean. Unlike push and pull doors, which must be opened and closed manually,
sliding doors simply open when they detect motion. As a result, customers don’t
need to touch the doors themselves, which is beneficial for a number of
important reasons.
Firstly, it means that sliding doors are the most hygienic option for retail
establishments. Whether you welcome in 100 or 1000 customers per day, the last
thing you want is to contribute to the spread of illness or infection. Your
premises should be clean with high levels of hygiene, and reducing the number
of surfaces customers have to touch can certainly help you achieve this.
Secondly, by reducing the number of people touching your shop doors, you can keep your shopfront cleaner for longer. Hands and fingers can leave smudges on glass panes, leaving your shop door looking dirty and poorly maintained - no matter how many times a day you clean. On the other hand, when you opt for sliding doors, the panes of glass will stay sparkling clean for much longer, saving you time and money while keeping the appearance of your shop in tip-top condition.
They can help you increase your security measures
Whether you own a small shop selling low-cost items or a high street jewellery shop offering a display of expensive goods, making sure you invest in first-rate security measures is essential to running a successful business. After all, you want to keep your premises and products safe from the threat of burglars and opportunists, and investing in a set of top quality doors is a great place to start.
In fact, making sure you have the right set of doors is one of the most important security precautions you can take. A poorly maintained or old-fashioned door can make a property look vulnerable to criminals, whereas a modern set of sturdy sliding doors can act as a suitable deterrent to anyone hoping to intrude upon your property. As the doors open automatically, it is also extremely difficult to unlock and open them manually, making sliding doors a high-security option as opposed to other types of door.
When you purchase a set of sliding doors from a trusted installation company, they’ll also be designed with panes of high-strength reinforced glass. As a result, it’ll be highly difficult for any intruders to gain access to your premises - even if they wanted to. Large glass panes also allow your CCTV to pick up footage from both the inside and outside of your premises, creating a much fuller picture and making it easier for you to trace the movements of any opportunists who do manage to gain access to your shop. With this in mind, it’s clear that automatic sliding doors are one of the most secure types of door for all retail outlets.
If you’re looking for top quality sliding doors for your retail premises in Mildenhall, Royston and beyond, look no further than Thoroughbred Industrial Doors. We’re proud to install a wide range of industrial doors, including sliding doors, for commercial customers in the local area, in addition to offering servicing, maintenance and repair solutions for all types of door.
Whether you’re looking for custom designed roller shutter, sectional, high speed, steel hinged, sliding or fire doors, you can trust us for a seamless installation service and more. As a garage door company with a total commitment to customer satisfaction, we also offer 24/7 emergency call-outs so you never have to wait too long to have all problems resolved quickly and efficiently.
