The importance of maintaining shop and retail signage goes far beyond the aesthetic benefits of showcasing your business/brand in a professional manner.
Put simply, sign maintenance is legal obligation for company owners.
For any sign other than personal use, it is the law that you must maintain the signs you own, to ensure they remain safe and secure.
In fact, The UK Government website states:
“The sign must be easy to read and to see at any time, not just when you’re open”.
Internal signs can usually be checked by yourself or a staff member for signs of any deterioration, damages or changes from how it was when first installed.
External signage – especially fascias and projecting signs – are best checked by those who installed it, or an experienced individual. They can ensure that all fixings are still secure, that everything is working and that the sign is nice and clean and if any works need doing to it, they are able to accurately identify and report what is required.
It is recommended that your signs be checked at least once a year.
However, following the event of adverse weather like storms and strong winds (a common place in the UK), it’s always worth checking and if need be contact the installer.
We can handle any part of the maintenance when it comes to your sign. From a simple cleaning, to replacing of LEDs / fluorescents / neon, to remaking and replacing other areas of the sign. We can replace or add extra fixings as needed to ensure the sign is secure and can also help with weatherproofing solutions if you are finding that water is getting into any part of the sign.
Check out more of our articles here. And please drop us a line if you’d like to chat about any of the details we’ve covered or to find out more about shop sign maintenance.
Shop and retail signage are essential if you are located on a busy high street, or within a large shopping centre.
Not only does it let people know who you are, but a well-made sign will create a positive influence inside potential customer’s mind even before they enter your premises.
Here at A1deSIGNS, we have more than 30 years designing and creating signs for our customers. And in our opinion, these five factors are what really makes great retail signage.
Keep the message concise and to the point. Avoid clutter and excessive information that can overwhelm viewers.
Your sign should be easily seen from a distance and in various lighting conditions. Consider the size, placement, and lighting of the sign to maximize visibility.
Your sign should reflect your brand’s identity, including its colours, logo, and design elements. Consistency helps reinforce your brand in the minds of customers.
Create a sign that sets your business apart from competitors. A distinctive design can help your shop stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Regularly maintain and clean your sign to keep it looking fresh and appealing. Faded or damaged signs can send a negative message about your business.
Check out more of our articles here. And please drop us a line if you’d like to chat about any of the details we’ve covered or to find out more about industrial signs.
Shop Signs are an absolute must if you are located on a busy high street, or within a large shopping centre. Perhaps more so than ever – following on-off national lockdowns for the past year – it’s all about catching consumers eyes with the right signage.
A well-made sign will create a positive influence inside potential customer’s mind even before they enter your premises.
Here at A1 DeSIGNS we’ve listed some important factors to consider before purchasing a retail sign.
Medium, low cost shop sign and retail sign options can include simple forms of signage such as acrylic letters fixed directly to the wall, flat panels with applied vinyl text or graphics.
Mid-range shop sign and retail sign options can include metal letters mounted to a panel or wall, built up metal or acrylic letters without internal illumination and the use of an overhead trough light.
High-end shop signs and retail sign options can include built up letters in metals such as brass with internal illumination via neon or LED’s, it all depends on the type of sign making supplies you use.. Another option includes push through acrylic letters that can give a unique look.
From a simply LED trough light above your sign, to a projecting light box, to neon letters, you can utilise lighting for your shop sign in great ways.
From vinyl lettering, to built up illuminated letters throw in the different finishes and colours and you can have a sign completely unique.
As a business you can easily spend a great deal of money on advertising in places such as yell for example, with this type of advert you are placed next to every bit of competition in your area and it can easily cost up to £3000 on a yearly basis.
The average retail sign or shop sign depending on the quality of the materials used can last 10 years or more, if you spent the same £3000 on your retail sign or shop sign, you would have a high quality sign, that would have massive impact and all at a yearly cost of ownership of only £300 per year.
Of course this is the higher end of the spectrum of signage options available, and more costs effective options are available.
Please drop us a line if you’d like to chat about any of the details we’ve covered or to find out more about how our variety of shop signage can help your business.
Today (April 12, 2021) all non-essential retailers re-open after months of lockdown.
Owners are hoping people will return to stores in droves to finally experience ‘physical shopping’ as opposed to buying online.
Perhaps more than ever, shop signs and retail signage will be fundamental in attracting the most important customers of all – those walking past their doors.
At A1deSIGNS we have the experience to provide you with the retail sign or shop sign options that fit your brand or style.
If you already have a logo or some sort of design, we can advise you as to the type of signage that best suits – providing options for your fascia sign, double sided projection sign, windows graphics, internal signage and branding along with a variety of point of sale options.
Medium, low cost shop sign and retail sign options can include simple forms of signage such as acrylic letters fixed directly to the wall, flat panels with applied vinyl text or graphics.
Mid-range shop sign and retail sign options can include metal letters mounted to a panel or wall, built up metal or acrylic letters without internal illumination and the use of an overhead trough light.
High-end shop signs and retail sign options can include built up letters in metals such as brass with internal illumination via neon or LED’s, it all depends on the type of sign making supplies you use.. Another option includes push through acrylic letters that can give a unique look.
Please drop us a line if you’d like to chat about any of the details we’ve covered or to find out more about how our variety of neon signs can help your business.
Shop Signs are an absolute must if you are located on a busy high street, or within a large shopping centre. They let people know who you are and a well made sign will create a positive influence inside potential customer’s mind even before they enter your premises.
‘How much do shop signs cost?’ and ‘Are shop signs expensive?’ are questions we’re often asked as a specialist in all types of shop signage.
With this in mind, we’re going to go into some depth to answer these two questions as best we can…
This question is the most asked question we hear. Not just limited to shop signs, many people enquire with just this question, without realising how difficult it can be to answer. Many different elements affect the overall cost; the size of the sign, what material(s) is/are being used on it, whether there is any illumination, whether a sub-frame is needed. Built up letters cost more than flat cut letters, which in turns costs more than vinyl graphics. Built up letters with lighting inside costs more than without. It can sometimes be cheaper to illuminate your sign with an overhead trough light than with lighting inside the sign itself, but sometimes it is not.
The more information you can provide at the enquiry stage, the easier it is to get a quick and accurate price for your shop sign.
The answer to this question can be both yes and no. Depending on the materials you choose for your shop sign, it can become quite expensive. More premium materials and finishes (brass and polished gold stainless steel for example) will naturally increase the cost. Adding lighting also increases the cost, the level of this depending on the type of lighting and coverage.
But the true answer to this question depends on your perception and budget. Your shop sign is hand made by us, sometimes taking many hours to manufacture the individual components and then assemble everything into the finished product. Knowing that certain materials cost more than others and certain styles take longer to make than others can help you have a realistic expectation based on what you are asking for. A single shop sign could vary from £6/700 + vat to over £3000 + vat depending on the materials and styles used.
If you have a budget that is higher than this cost, then the sign would not be seen as expensive and likewise, if your budget is lower, then it would be seen as expensive.
One thing to also think about is that while a shop sign can work out expensive, it is expected to last between 4 and 7 years at least and will serve as one of the greatest forms of advertising for your business. A good quality impressive shop sign will stand out from other shops in the area. When you factor in the lifespan of the sign and the potential it brings for new business, it is well worth investing in a good quality sign.
* Please note: If you are interested in having a shop sign made up, please look at our guide to Specifying your Fascia, along with the other specification documents that will help you know exactly what to request based on what you want. Alternatively, please feel free to call or email us to begin the process of creating a shop sign
If you have any further questions related to this topic or any other around shop and retail signage, please take the time to get in touch and we can talk to you about any type of project you have in mind.
As we are a manufacturer of all types of signage, customers often ask very general questions about shop signs or fascias, as they are also known, at the early stages of enquiry. These questions are almost impossible to answer as a whole, due to the multi-faceted nature of signs. With that in mind, we thought it best to go into more depth with some of them to try to provide a clearer understanding.
If you are interested in having a shop sign made up, please look at our guide to Specifying your Fascia, along with the other specification documents that will help you know exactly what to request based on what you want. Alternatively, please feel free to call or email us to begin the process of creating a shop sign.
One of the most common questions customers ask us, either because they are not sure what can be used, or because they have seen too many different versions to really know what they are looking at. There are three main elements to a shop sign: the backing panel, the main focus and supporting information.
Shop signs are usually placed outside (unless your shop is inside a larger shopping facility), so unless your sign is going to be a light box, or a flat panel inside a panatrim frame, your backing is not likely to be made out of acrylic. With that in mind, the more popular materials for shop/ fascia signs are: wood, aluminium composite, aluminium and steel (either mild steel or brushed / polished finished stainless steel).
The main focus of a sign is the part you want to stand out to everyone, to draw them in. The vast majority of the time, it will be the name of your shop or company, sometimes a company logo. Because of this, you want to make sure that it stands out. There are many different mediums available for tis, from vinyl graphics, to metal built up letters to neon lighting. Illumination is always a great way to draw attention to a sign.
Supporting information encompasses all the other details you might put onto your sign, including phone number, website, shop number etc. These can be important details to have displayed, but you would not want them to be the part of your sign people notice first. Vinyl is always a popular choice for this information as it comes in many colours and allows large areas to be covered for a relatively low cost. You can of course use any of the materials mentioned above and more, but the key to remember is that you do not want to overshadow the main focus.
If you have any further questions related to this topic or any other around shop and retail signage, please take the time to get in touch and we can talk to you about any type of project you have in mind.