Whether you are setting up a new retail store or refurbishing an existing one, you will need to have the ideal fitout to ensure that it attracts customers effectively. After all, if the customers do not feel comfortable shopping in your establishment, they will visit only once. When this occurs, your business has no way to grow to its maximum profitability. We offer a list of important things to keep in mind as you are deciding on the right fitout for your retail store in the following information.

1. Decide on the Layout

The first decision for you to make is the type of layout that is the most effective for your store. Grid floor plans are ideal for such retail establishments as grocery stores, hardware stores and pharmacies. It involves rows of shelves with aisle space in between them. Clothing stores typically use a loop floor plan since it guides customers around the perimeter of the store as well as the center. High-end boutiques, though, often prefer a free-flow floor plan to highlight their merchandise. It this layout, clothing displays are scattered at random throughout the store but in an attractive fashion.

2. Your Aisles Should Be Provide Easy Navigation

If your layout is the loop or grid one, you need to be certain that your aisles are wide enough for easy navigation. In fact, two customers should be able to pass each other without bumping into each other. Even with a free-flow floor plan, you should space the displays in such a way as to allow for walking space in between them.

3. Your Décor Should Promote Your Brand Attractively

Your colour scheme and other décor elements need to promote your brand in an effective, attractive manner. Neutral colours are more relaxing, but you can add bright accent colours to draw attention to various parts of the store when desirable.

4. Install Sufficient Lighting Throughout the Store

Often times, store owners will overlook the importance of installing sufficient lighting throughout their store. They become too caught up in mood lighting and forget that customers appreciate stores that illuminate properly, so that they can not only see to navigate but also to read merchandise labels clearly.

5. Add the Latest in Technology Whenever Possible

Another addition to your fitout should be the latest in display and other technologies. One example of this is interactive screens to deliver information to customers effectively without the need of assistance.

For further facts about the important things to keep in mind when performing a retail store fitout project, consult with Macwood Group. We specialise in these fitouts as well as ones for offices. On top of that, we offer expert joinery and durable partition systems.

Call centres can be either offices or departments in larger businesses. Their purpose is to have numerous employees managing incoming and outgoing voice and/or telephone calls on a daily basis. Some of the calls may be from present clients while other ones are from prospective clients. Also, the centres handle a wide range of issues, topics, concerns and/or normal customer service questions. It is important to note that these centres need to be set up in the proper fashion for them to run efficiently each day. Partition systems are effective additions to these centres to reach this goal for the following reasons.

Create Separate Areas in Your Call Centre

Partition systems are an ideal way to create separate areas in the call centre to suit your needs. They are easy and quick to install, which also is beneficial since you will not have to shut down normal operations for any longer than possible.

Less Expensive Than Traditional Walls

Partition systems are less expensive than traditional walls are for your centre. Traditional walls require a complex framework, whereas, partitions are installed in simple tracks on the ceiling and floor.

Employees Have Fewer Distractions

When you install partition systems in your call centre in the proper placement, your employees will have fewer distractions from their tasks. The systems will block a certain amount of noise from traveling through the centre for one thing.

Provide Flexibility of Design

Since the partition systems can install if a variety of configurations easily, they provide flexibility of design on a level that traditional walls cannot. Typically, the latter walls are in place when you first rent or buy your building, and you do not have any options about where they go unlike the partition systems that you have total control over.

Glazed Glass Partitions Allow Light to Flow throughout the Centre

When you select glazed glass partitions for your system, they allow light to flow through the centre. Also, you can keep an eye on each area at a glance.

Plaster Partitions Provide Privacy

If you need privacy in different areas of your call centre, you can opt of plaster partitions in your system. These block the view and the light.

For additional details about why partition systems are a necessity in call centres, consult with our experts here at Macwood Group. We are highly skilled at performing fitouts of all types of establishments ranging from offices and retail shops to call centres. Also, we specialise in quality joinery, and glazed and plaster partition systems. With our lengthy experience in this field, we deliver ideal results with each project that we perform.

Since office fit-outs and renovations call for a variety of tasks and crews, it is imperative to keep these projects highly organised throughout their duration. On top of this, you want these projects to finish at the allotted time so that they do not interrupt your daily schedule any longer than necessary. One of the most effective ways for the contracting company to keep organised and complete the projects according to the agreement with you is by adhering to a scheduled timeline. We discuss the importance of this in the following facts.

A Scheduled Timeline Helps Work Crews Perform Tasks in the Proper Order

Many times, the crews must perform certain tasks before other ones. This timeline helps ensure that they perform them in the correct order, so no backtracking will be necessary. For example, they might need to install new wiring before the ceiling can be set into place.

Certain Crews Must Work When Other Crews Are Not On-Site

While many of the crews can work simultaneously on their separate tasks, there are certain crews that must perform their tasks when other crews are not on-site. Installation of flooring is one of these tasks. Another example is when painting is taking place.

Timelines Help the Contracting Company Stay on Time and Within the Budget

A contracting company also should use a scheduled timeline to stay on time with the project. When projects run over the contractual completion date, there are additional fees, expenses and even wages that cost the company and cost you additional funds. Also, your profitability may take a dive when the project runs beyond the completion date and exceeds your budget, especially if the project causes you to totally halt all operations.

An Example of a Scheduled Timeline

To help you visualise what a scheduled timeline is, we provide the following example:

1. Scope out site
2. Perform all preliminary work
3. Demolition tasks when necessary
4. Repairs on existing structure
5. Perform fit-out or renovation tasks
6. Preliminary clean-up to ready the office for the next step
7. Install fixtures, office machines, furniture and other furnishings
8. Final clean-up
9. Inspection to ensure that there are no issues
10. Completion and handover

Turn to Macwood Group to learn additional facts about the importance of following a scheduled timeline in office fit-outs and renovations. We are highly adept at performing office fit-outs and refurbishments. Our company even offers design services to ensure that your finished project suits your needs in an ideal fashion. Also, we provide accurate quotes for your entire project, even when you need plaster-partition or glazed-partition walls, floor coverings, electrical works, signage and/or work stations and partitioning as part of the project.

Coffee shops are businesses that are dedicated to serving hot coffee, other types of coffee-related drinks and even types of tea along with various food items at times. Today, these shops are wildly popular but also face stiff competition. To ensure that their establishments stand out from the others, owners of these shops must focus attention on all aspects of their businesses, including their interiors and fitouts. You need to remember this fact as you set up or renovate your coffee shop, so that you can build your business in the most successful way possible. Refer to the following details to learn about some of the ways that your interior and fitout affects the overall experience of your customers.

Both the Fitout and Interior Design Help Customers Relax in Your Coffee Shop 

The combination of the features in the fitout and interior design helps your customers relax while they drink their beverages and possibly eat their food selection. When the customers have a fully comfortable experience in your shop, they will remember your establishment the next time that they want a coffee, tea or other item on your menu when they are nearby again.

A Pleasant Interior Draws Customers to Your Shop

Another benefit of a pleasant interior is the fact that it will entice customers to enter your coffee shop rather than a different one nearby. If the shop is in disarray, dark and dingy, or cluttered, customers will just keep going by your shop without stopping in to try out your menu offerings. However, when the interior is bright and cheerful, clean, uncluttered, and highly organised, customers will feel confident that they will like the shop and enter it each time that they are in the area.

The Right Fitout Increases the Efficiency of Your Daily Operations

Another benefit that you can receive from the right fitout is an increase in the efficiency of your daily operations. Your employees will have an easy time fulfilling the needs of your customers as a result. This goes for the kitchen, counter and seating areas of your coffee shop.

Your Coffee Shop’s Interior and Fitout Will Help Promote Your Brand Effectively 

An additional reason to ensure that you have the right fitout and interior for your coffee shop is the fact that both can help you promote your brand effectively. You can use photos of the place in your advertising to create a favourable first impression on people before they ever walk into your shop.

For further ways that coffee shop interiors and fitouts affect customer visits and responses, consult with Macwood Group. Our specialties include services for shopfitting, office fitouts, architectural and other joinery, and even partition systems.

If you are in search for the ideal addition to your home that will help you bring your family members together in an enjoyable fashion, there is no better project to accomplish this than an outdoor kitchen project. When this project comes to completion, your entire family can sit outdoors comfortably and enjoy nature, cookouts and great conversations along with other things. In order to bring this project to fruition in the best possible manner, it needs to include the following items:

Durable Outdoor Decking or Other Flooring

Your outdoor kitchen should have some type of floor. You can use decking, pavers, brick or poured concrete for just four suggestions. Flooring allows you to walk around this area without eroding your soil and/or lawn. It also helps your furnishings sit level instead of at a slant.

Custom Cabinets Complete with Useful Features

One feature that is a must in your outdoor kitchen project is custom cabinets built with expert joinery workmanship and materials. These cabinets also should contain durable countertops that will stand up to weather exposure. Ceramic tile or natural stone are just two examples that will work for the countertops. In addition, you need sufficient storage, a grill, a cooktop is optional, a sink and possibly a mini refrigerator.

Install a Fireplace or Fire pit to Enable Year-Round Use

To enable year-round use of this outdoor kitchen, you need to install a firepit or fireplace, depending upon the setup of it. Either one will keep you and your family toasty warm in the cool or even cold weather during your fall and winter family cookouts and gatherings.

Add a Pergola for Shade on Hot Days

Install a pergola over your outdoor kitchen for a bit of shade on the hot days of summer. There are different styles and designs for these that can be customised to your exact specifications and preferences.

Outdoor Seating Is a Must

Top off your project with sufficient, stylish outdoor seating and complementary pieces. Chairs, chaise lounges, sofas, end tables and ottomans are all available in materials that will endure the weather in a durable way.

Lighting 

Another feature that you may like to add to your outdoor kitchen is lighting. Illuminate the area for nighttime use with such lighting options as solar-powered or electric LED light fixtures. These come in various forms and you also can hang strings of LED lights if you so prefer. Tiki torches are another option.

For additional information about installing an outdoor kitchen project on your property for your family cookouts and gatherings, consult with Macwood Group. We specialise in custom joinery, shopfitting, office fitouts and more. Our company delivers superior quality with each project that we perform.

Design planning is a breeze when your office has unlimited space but is trickier when your office is a small one. The trick is to make your small office look as if it is more spacious than it actually is. With the right knowledge, you can accomplish this in an eye-catching and a functional manner that will impress all who enter the office. That is why we are here to provide you with some effective office design ideas in the following details to help you make your small office look larger.

Turn to an Open Office Layout

In an open layout, your office will have only a minimal amount of walls or partitions to section the area off into different departments. Today, many offices do away with the department divisions to better utilise their available space.

Replace Desks and/or Workstations with Simple Tables and Chairs

Instead of bulky desks and/or workstations, install simple tables and chairs to serve the same purpose. These can allow one employee or a group of employees to work at them depending upon your need and the size of the tables.

Include Sufficient Storage to Do Away with Clutter

Another necessity to ensure that you provide your small office with a spacious appearance is the inclusion of effective storage options. Clutter can use up valuable space and make even a large office look cramped, let alone a small one. Also, if your employees have to deal with clutter each day, their productivity may suffer. In the event that you do not have adequate floor space for storage units, install shelving and cubby holes on the walls.

Light Flooring Helps Create the Illusion of More Space

Another way to create the illusion of more space in your office is by installing a light-coloured flooring in it. Whether you select a carpeting, wood, laminate, vinyl, stone or ceramic option make sure it is in the lighter shades of white, pale gray, pale blue or pale green just for some examples.

Keep the Furniture in the Waiting Area Minimalist in Nature

Do not forget to keep the furniture in the waiting area plain and simple instead of heavy and bulky. This will ensure that this area feels a bit less crowded and more spacious.

Include the Latest in Lighting Options

Not only are the latest in lighting options more energy efficient, but they also illuminate the office area efficiently. When an office area is dark, it appears smaller that it truly is, whereas, sufficient lighting helps to visually trick the eyes into thinking that the area is larger than its actual size.

For further office planning ideas to make your small office look bigger, consult with Macwood Group. We will work with you to design, create and install the ideal office fitout for you that provides the illusion of spaciousness for your limited space.

Today, companies are learning that they can increase productivity by providing the right work environment for their employees. For this reason, more and more of them are considering the purpose of their work area as well as what type of flexibility they require to create an office fitout that also puts the overall well-being of their employees as a priority. To better understand these behavioural contributions that a modern office fitout can provide to a company, we will examine each in-depth in the following.

Define the Purpose for Your Office Fitout

The first behavioural consideration should be to define the purpose for your office fitout. What we mean by this is simple in that you need to determine if you need a collaborative area where multiple employees can work on projects together or individual work areas for the employees to accomplish their tasks.

How Flexible Do You Need the Office Fitout?

Along with the purpose of your fitout of your office, you should understand how flexible that you need it to be to serve your needs in the ideal manner. Do you require a permanent setup that is unmovable in nature or do you need a setup where you can alter its configuration at will? This is a crucial question to answer in order to obtain favourable results.

Other Behavioural Contributions to a Modern Office Design

1. Provide Privacy Areas

Regardless of the nature of your fitout, you should ensure that your employees have privacy areas available to them when they need to work away from each other for one reason or another. Their productivity will not suffer due to too many distractions when you perform this action.

2. An Office Fitout Should Be Comfortable

Comfort is another behavioural influence for a modern office fitout. Employees spend many hours at work during the week and the more comfortable they are, the better for their morale and productivity levels. It is quite difficult to concentrate on work when they are uncomfortable.

3. Place Safety as a Priority 

Offices just like other types of workplaces need to be safe for employees and all who enter them each day. This includes everything from the sturdiness of the structure to the air quality.

4. Modern Office Fitouts Encourage Interaction

Instead of providing space according to rank and pay level, the modern office setup should encourage interaction between upper-level, mid-level and lower-level employees. By doing so, you will make all of your employees feel valued.

For additional facts about the behavioural contributions of a modern office fitout, consult with our company, Macwood Group. We will work with you to provide the ideal fitout for your needs that will help the office fulfill its purpose in as flexible of a way as you require for the well-being of your employees and company.