Shopfitting trends

Allison Park, specification product manager at one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of laminate and decorative surface materials for the shop fitting sector, Egger UK Ltd, believes that the constant pressure for cost reduction in a tough and highly competitive sector has put the squeeze on the laminate market in recent years.

She said: “Sales of laminate, which once dominated the sector are still hugely significant but have reduced due to an increasing awareness and adoption of different (fit for purpose) materials, such as Melamine Faced Chipboard (MFC) and decorative MDF are replacing the traditional materials used.”

This concept of mixing and matching is often referred to as ‘Value Engineering’ and is a methodology, which is being increasingly adopted as both a pragmatic design and business philosophy.

Visual aesthetics or required product performance need not be compromised, whilst costs can be significantly reduced., which, for many should pervade all types of project. Using only fit for purpose materials throughout a project increases efficiency through project cost savings without impacting on the visual aesthetics or required product performance.

Egger says that a 31% cost saving can be achieved by co-ordinating MFC and MDF materials throughout a project compared to using all laminate bonded chipboard on the same project.

Moreover, a 46% saving can be achieved by co-ordinating Egger’s materials throughout compared to using veneer bonded onto MDF on the same project.

The designs contained within the Kaleidoscope collection are varied and include favourites such as whites, creams and greys as well as more striking primary and pastel colours. The fantasy or abstract patterns include metal effects and modern fine line designs, while the wood effects include contemporary maple, cherry and striking dark walnut, which provide a palette of colours and materials to satisfy the majority of projects.

Egger UK has also embraced the Value Engineering concept via the Kaleidoscope range. The range of décors are available in Laminate, Melamine Faced Chipboard (MFC), decorative MDF and edging means that decorative matches can be achieved for each product, so the most appropriate material can be specified for each area of the project.

Allison Park again: “Mixing materials according to their required application, not only means materials used are fit for purpose but also provides significant benefits to shop fitting budgets. Value Engineering via Kaleidoscope is ideal for providing an inviting, stylish in-store environment whilst keeping the focus on the bottom line. can save substantial project costs
“This has proven to be a popular option for hard pressed retailers who need to create fresh interiors for both new and existing stores as they have one eye on providing an inviting, stylish in-store environment and the other on the bottom line.

“Colour trends such as dark timber effects like walnut and beige-brown colours such as Cappuccino are very popular although there is increased use of bold colours like red and burgundy.

“Increasingly it is not just the visual aspect which is important, the feel and texture of the laminate is crucial to give a realistic reproduction to the finish.

“For example, the smooth velvety texture of real wood veneer can be reproduced. Our own ‘Perfect Matt ST9’ is an ideal choice where a cost effective hardwearing option is required.”