AMeasure of Protection
Keeping up with the wear and tear that stores are exposed to daily is a task that also can be time-consuming and expensive. But Jos. A. Bank Clothiers has found relief with the help of a wallcovering that combines style, practicality and functionality.
The menswear retailer is using Acrovyn Surface Protection from Grand Entrance, Frederick, Md., to protect the walls in its tailor shop and fitting-room common area.
“The area is visible to customers, so we don’t want it looking bad. We needed something that would help us avoid having to repaint the walls so much,” said Stephen Gallant, VP facility development, Jos. A. Bank, Hampstead, Md., which operates 467 stores in 42 states.
Gallant explained that UPS uses a back door for deliveries to Jos. A. Bank stores, with the merchandise then staged in the nearby fitting-room hallway.
“With all the activity, the walls really get marked up and constantly needed to be touched up and painted,” he added. “There were gouges in the wall finish, and the drywall would have knocks and cuts from all the boxes.”
Acrovyn’s wallcovering, a vinyl acrylic sheet material, proved the ideal solution.
“It’s durable and offers good protection, and it looks good, all of which are important to us,” Gallant said. He likened the material to a waistcoat that protects the wall from damage.
It’s also simple to use.
“It comes in 4-ft.-by-8-ft. sheets and is designed to go on any open wall, adhering right to the drywall,” Gallant said. “It cuts very easily.”
The chain installs Acrovyn on the lower half of the walls in the fitting-room area, choosing a color that matches the decor. (The material is available in more than 60 hues and a variety of surface options.)
“We cap it off with a trim piece on the top, so it has a nice finished look,” Gallant said. “And there is a bumper on the bottom of the wall.”
The product is easily cleaned and refreshed, with the stores using a cleaner that is available on the open market. At a time when money is tight, Acrovyn has helped Jos. A. Bank reduce its painting and repair costs.
“Acrovyn has made a big difference,” Gallant said, “cutting down the amount of painting we do, as well as the frequency of the painting, and in fewer repairs to the drywall.”
“We found that providing it ourselves increases the level of consistency store to store,” he said.
The retailer uses another Acrovyn product, corner guards, on the exposed corners on its sales floor and in the entry to its fitting rooms.
“We’ve been using Acrovyn’s corner guards for six years now, and I don’t know of a single instance in which we’ve had to replace even one,” Gallant said.