There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing doors for your retail space, from sliding doors to swing doors, automatic to manual. What you should choose depends on many factors, including the size, layout, and location of your shop. The security of your shop is also a factor, as you want to invite customers and not vandals or thieves.
Your customer’s experience should also be considered. You not only want to provide an attractive entrance to your shop, but also make entering your shop as convenient as possible. As it is a public space, your shop will need to be fully accessible to everyone to comply with the Equality Act 2010.
If your shop floor is very limited on space, or if you have a very large amount of stock to fit in, then you need to carefully consider the space that your doors operate in. A swing door needs a clear space to swing into, so you’ll have to think about where to place your stock, and how big your door will be. Sliding doors take up much less room inside the shop, but need a wide space to operate in, so aren’t suitable for narrow shops or ones with limited wall space.
Narrow shops would have to consider that a sliding door could impact on their window display, making the outside of the shop less attractive. On the other hand, on a wider shop front, a sliding automatic door makes for an impressive looking entrance that is convenient and accessible. You’ll need to carefully weigh up the way a door looks before you invest as, although it’s only a small part of your overall shop, it is literally the first thing your customer sees upon entering.
To install a heavy steel security door at the front of your shop wouldn’t be appropriate. Even a discreet door would potentially ruin the aesthetics as, ideally, a customer will want to be able to see through the glass into the shop before they enter. The ideal solution is to get discreet security grille installed such as an Alulike Grille G2. They can be fitted to cover both the door and the window display, giving a fuller level of protection, and can be fitted on the inside or outside of the shop depending on your doors and preferences.
You need to consider security shutters or grilles at the same time you are choosing your doors, and not as an afterthought. This will eliminate any risk of choosing incompatible systems that will obstruct each other either at the top of the door or at the guide rails, preventing the door from opening all the way or stopping the shutter from rolling down.
One way of getting around the limited space in a small shop is to have a swing door that goes outwards. This can only work in certain circumstances, however. An outward-swinging door is likely to be inappropriate for a shop that is on a busy high street with limited pavement space. However, if your shop front is slightly set back into the wall of a building, isn’t in a foot-traffic heavy area, or is inside a shopping centre, then this might work for you. An automatic swing door such as is the ideal solution for allowing easy access for any customer, complying with the Equality Act, and can be installed to swing in either direction to fit with your specific needs.
A heavy security door is rarely the right choice for the front of a shop, even if you’ve got valuable stock and premises to protect. In this case, choosing an easy access automatic door in conjunction with roller shutters to protect your shop is a great solution. If you need any guidance planning the security for your shop front then contact us on 0800 072 3444.
HAG offers a wide range of products and services, if you would like further information call 0800 072 3444 now to speak to a member of our team.
