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Wooden retractable barriers

With over 50 combined years in the customer guidance industry, we’ve been looking for ways to improve the look of queuing systems. With most barrier manufacturers looking for more and more ways to modernise the look of queuing barriers, we’ve been busy designing barriers that fit in with their surroundings. A cafe barrier systems and queuing systems should be seen as an accessory to furnishing and not just shop fittings.

When the interior of a venue is primarily timber, does a chrome retractable barrier fit? Gone are the days where a National Trust grand house has to make do with metal stanchions just because that’s all they can get.

After all, we have adopted this method for external alfresco areas since Brandline Products first began trading.

The image above shows one of our cafe barrier systems that has been designed to fit in with the customers existing alfresco areas. Black metalwork, lightly stained reclaimed timber and heavy duty.

Now look at the image below. An oak laminated flooring, fabric displays and BANG! Chrome retractable barriers that stick out like a sore thumb. Why?

I remember many years ago negiotitating with a buyer from the, then mighty, British high street chain Woolworths. Woolies had just spent over half a million pounds refurbishing a flag ship store in Birmingham. The buyer, who I won’t name, called me and asked “what’s the cheapest retractable barrier you have?” At that time we happened to have some ex-hire barriers that had been returned from a event at the NEC in Briminmgham. These were in a bright purple colour with red belts. I was able to heavily discount them and he immediately snapped my hand off. In fact, he was so happy that I was invited to the grand opening of the store.
 
So, there I was with the big boys of Woolworths trying to increase our company profile with them when we came to the check out area. That’s when thing started to go drastically wrong. That’s where they were. The bright purple, slightly worn, slightly dented, queue barriers. They were sitting along side expensive oak check out units and standing on beautiful parquet flooring.
 
Silence.
 
I’m sure you could have fried an egg on my face. They looked dreadful. I later discovered that the store had been refurbished based on the say-so from a group of highly qualified designers based in London. The flooring, wall coverings and even the signage details had all been specified. However, the fixtures had not been specified and they had been left to the cost-saving fixture and fittings buyers. They needed queue barriers, they got queue barriers. Needless to say that was the last order we received from Woolworths and the buyer was never heard from again.
 
Since then Brandline Products have strived to offer an off the shelf, designer friendly product, that could fit in with the more exclusive venues. Venues that realise that these products are part of the furniture and not just another store fixture.
 
We can now introduce you to the Rustic , Oak, and Brandline retractable barriers. The first UK manufactured barriers with a difference.

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