What you should consider when selecting floor coverings for a retail store

When choosing a floor covering for a store, there are several important factors that need to be considered including the type of business, the opportunity to promote branding, as well as the practical aspects that impact both the in-store staff and customers. Gerflor provides you with insights in this article so you can make the best choice for your store.

The importance of floor coverings in the retail sector

At first glance, the choice of floor covering for your store may seem like a minor decision, but in fact, it is highly important and should not be underestimated or taken lightly.

Floor coverings for all types of applications

Each business has special requirements and must be able to fit a floor covering that is suitable for its specific, technical and aesthetic needs. For instance, a clothing store has different expectations than a grocery store or a bank. Moreover, some stores experience high foot traffic and need a more durable floor covering than others.

Gerflor covers all possible situations with a wide selection of PVC floor coverings suitable for environments ranging from a large grocery store to a local real estate agency or small fashion accessory boutique, for example. There is a perfect floor covering to suit the identity of your store.

Enhancing your brand identity

The design of the floor covering is strategic for retailers. In non-food retail stores such as clothing shops, it helps strengthen the brand's visual identity and contributes directly to creating a unique customer experience.

In practice, PVC has the advantage of having a very wide colour and design palette so you are able to empower your brand identity with the right floor covering choice. Some references also offer true-to-life imitations of other materials, such as wood or tiles, without all the technical issues that go with real materials.

Installing a PVC floor covering in a boutique has few disadvantages as it does not require adhesive and can be easily fitted with the interlocking system, saving 30% of installation time.

A carefully designed and tailored customer experience

Stores open to the public such as banks or other agencies need to be consistent within their choice of floor and wall covering, as well as with other design elements of the corporate image. The warm and classy environment that is inspired by the choice of design elements makes customers feel at home.

In this respect, PVC floor covering is an excellent choice for perfect coordination. Customisation and modularity are easy to achieve and the end result is a 100% unique and warm appearance.

Explore the LVT range on our website for a particularly refined result. Luxury vinyl tiles are perfect to create distinct zones within your outlet.

Gerflor solutions for stores

Gerflor's PVC floor coverings are particularly suitable for stores thanks to their many advantages.

Durability and easy maintenance

PVC floor covering is known for its exceptional resistance, a crucial factor for storeowners. Store floors are subjected to heavy duty foot traffic every day so if the floor covering is not suitably durable, it will suffer bad wear and tear and get prematurely damaged.

Our technical GSA range is perfect for large grocery stores as it is designed to withstand heavy traffic while providing slip-resistant characteristics and noise reduction. How the floor is to be maintained should also be addressed before investing in the floor covering for your store. In practice, a floor subjected to heavy foot traffic must be cleaned regularly so it looks perfect at all times, but without it being too much of a technical burden. PVC floor covering is the ideal choice here because cleaning is so easy: just wash with soap and water.

A wide range of designs

As well as being easy to maintain, PVC floor covering comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, allowing for a more modern and personalised aspect compared to other materials. Our digital printing techniques offer totally tailored results to meet all your requirements and honour your brand identity.

Also, this type of floor covering opens up numerous possibilities for your store as it can create differentiated areas or subtly guide your customers' in-store itinerary. Many PVC references are excellent alternatives to other floor coverings such as wood or tiles. These materials can be quite expensive and come with a number of maintenance and installation related conditions.

Streamlined installation

Easy installation is key when choosing a floor covering for your store as it can have significant financial consequences.

Opting for a more difficult-to-install floor covering such as tiles may require your store to be closed to the public for an extended period of time during which you will unfortunately not be able to generate any revenue.

Therefore, it is wise to choose a floor covering that is easy to install for your store, and once again, PVC is the best alternative. Our floor coverings are particularly easy to install; for instance, 200 square metres can be installed in just eight hours thanks to their interlocking system. Choosing PVC floor coverings helps you save time and money by minimising the time needed for the job and the store closure. It can also be very useful for floor renovations, as in most cases, PVC floor covering can be installed directly on top of the old floor.

Gerflor, the flooring group

Gerflor creates, manufactures, and brings to market innovative, decorative and eco-responsible complete solutions for resilient floors, wall coverings, and accessories, from installation to finishing for commercial environments.