REASONS FOR HAVING A COMMERCIAL AWNING FOR YOUR SHOP

There are several good reasons for obtaining a commercial awning for your shop, but they largely boil down to two: providing shade and enticing people through the front door. Whether you're in the retail or catering industries, commercial awnings can transform your business by looking after the customers you've got and attracting new ones.

Commercial awnings are also ideal for keeping products cool, shaded from the sunlight and out of the way of the wind and rain, and the original Victorian awning (or 'box-lot'), common on the high street in the 1800s, is still popular today for coping with the unpredictable British weather. If your awning is large enough, it may give you the option to move some stock outside, extending your useful space while protecting goods from damage. These kinds of awnings are usually designed to be easily retractable when shutting up shop for the night.

As well as protecting your stock, commercial awnings can be installed to provide shelter for your customers  and are vital if you want to create a seperate covered area, for example a dining or smoking area. Restaurants, cafes and pubs will clearly benefit from a commercial awning, particularly since the British seem to have fallen in love with the al fresco dining they experience while on holiday abroad. Having the capacity to erect an awning, means that you can take more risks with your outside set-up in the spring and autumn. Instead of anxiously watching the weather to decide whether to bring your chairs and tables inside or not, you can relax in the knowledge that your awning will protect them from the lighter showers and give you time to bring everything inside if you do get caught out. This will have the effect of extending your season in comparison to nearby competitors without an awning.

If the experts are to be believed, the British weather is going to become more extreme, with more heatwaves but also more frequent and intense storms. This will make it even more important for shop-owners to give serious consideration to an awning to afford customers and staff a measure of protection from harmful UV radiation, torrential rain and howling gales. This scenario has prompted manufacturers of commercial awnings to design new types of all-weather systems, some which are built to stand up to storm force winds.

As for advertising, advances in digital design and printing techniques has made it possible to create all sorts of logos and effects on your awning. Many shops and other businesses opt for fixed awnings or canopies that are either attached to or independent of their main premises. In contrast to temporary, retractable awnings, these provide a constant advertisement to anyone who is passing, tempting them inside and raising awareness of your brand's presence on the high street. So-called 'approach awnings' are designed to guide people towards your shop's entrance, and can be fitted over stairs and around corners. Some even have the capacity for the fitting of lights and heating.

Even if you've looked at commercial awnings in the past and decided they're not for you, it might be worth taking another look. State-of-the-art materials and retraction mechanisms, including automatic electric control systems are making modern commercial awnings more versatile, durable and user-friendly than ever before.

Contact Barlow Blinds for Commercial Awnings in Leicester and the surrounding areas today.

"This article was written by Christopher Hales, an internet marketer and UK business professional. Christopher writes on a number of topics and is available for continued work to assist businesses across the UK."