The Blog | Mills Group

Aldi UK city stores fixturing

By Neil Webster
October 31, 2018
Display

Mills Display (UK) have just delivered the first phase of Aldi’s City Stores concept in various UK locations nationwide.

Using our new space efficient D-Max shelving system, we produced bespoke bakery units, beers, wines and spirits areas and illuminated healthcare fixtures.

The D-Max design allows for a 15% increase in shelf merchandising space, over traditional steel shelving systems. This was an integral part of the city store’s installation, to help Aldi maximise the space they have in these smaller ‘express’ style basket-only stores. This helped to ensure that Aldi could specify a wide range of product listings in a smaller store environment, therefore creating more choice and an inviting experience for the customer.

With seamless shelf integration, wire or flat sheet options, additional signage elements and a strong, durable construction, the D-max system was ideal for many applications in the city stores. Ambient grocery aisles, gondola promotional endcaps and large aisle runs were all configured from our core D-Max system.

We also provided adaptations for Beers, Wines and Spirits, using timber laminates and surface finishes to match into Aldi’s corporate store design portfolio. The D-Max system is a strong, durable design solution, engineered specifically to handle excessive weight distribution, for situations such as this. Delivery and installation was carried outside of each store’s core opening hours, to ensure a smooth transition in the re-fit. The new store openings involved close liaison with Aldi store planning and architects to maximise floor plans and propose the best solution for each different store environment.

Bulk Food Systems are Functional and Attractive

By Neil Webster
May 11, 2018
Food Display

Chances are that if you own a shop that sells food, you could probably benefit from a well-made bulk food distribution system. Such systems are ideal for a number of different kinds of products, including items like cereals, coffee beans, dried fruit, and even candy. Bulk food purchases have risen greatly in the last few decades as customers look for more natural foods and continue to be concerned about portion sizes, so having a viable self-serve system in place is ideal and, of course, offers many advantages.

Retail Theft Prevention

By Neil Webster
July 14, 2016
Loss Prevention

One of the industries that suffers the highest percentage of loss through shoplifting is the retail pharmacy industry. Now, you may immediately think we’re talking about prescription drug theft, but that generally occurs during full-out robberies, since thieves would have a difficult time accessing the drug area during regular business hours.

Retail Food Service Capturing a Big Piece of the Supermarket Pie

By Neil Webster
July 9, 2016
Food Display

If you watch retail trends closely, you’ve no doubt realised that throughout the last 10 years of so, the prepared foods section in your supermarket has been getting larger and larger. And if you’re in the supermarket business, you’ve certainly ascertained that you need to pay lots of attention to that department, especially since prepared foods from all kinds of stores continue to capture more of that market share, stealing business from restaurants where you can probably pick up something similar but at a much higher price.

So You’re Ready to Start your Catering Business?

By Neil Webster
July 1, 2016
Food Display

Food has always been a huge part of your life. You love to cook and you love thrilling others with your amazing meals. From appetizers and entrees to dainty desserts and more, you know how to make mouths water and you certainly know your way around a kitchen. Now it’s time to take your life’s passion and turn it into a business…a catering business.

Display Barrels, and Baskets: An Old-fashioned Look

By Neil Webster
June 30, 2016
Display

Picture an old-fashioned general store, maybe something you’d find in the far reaches of the Outback or perhaps the American West. Can you see it? It probably includes an old weather-worn counter and an ancient cash register, a scarred wooden floor, and perhaps some shelves lined with cans, bags, and other unusual items. Chances are that pieces include display barrels, crates, wicker baskets, and other similar items.

Lightboxes For Retail

By Neil Webster
June 24, 2016
Display

If you’re hoping to add some pizzazz to your indoor signage, there are a number of ways to do it. Choosing to install lightboxes for retail areas of your store is certainly one of those ways. LED lightboxes are a wonderful means of visual communication as they attract attention – drawing the eye to the location where they’re hanging.

POS Displays Drive Sales

By Neil Webster
June 22, 2016
Display

POS (point-of-sale) or POP (point-of-purchase) displays have long been a retail tool. These displays are designed to increase a customer’s amount of dollars spent per visit and are ideal for highlighting certain products that matter to you – the retailer – for one reason or another. High-quality POS displays drive sales upward, and if you follow a few simple guidelines, your point-of-sale displays will perform at an optimal level.

Improving Sales Through Digital Signage Marketing

By Neil Webster
June 17, 2016
Signage

If you’re a retailer, we’re sure you’ve already figured out (or everyone has told you) how important it is to have quality signage that not only looks good but also speaks to your customers. But perhaps you’re wondering whether you should stick with the old-fashioned printed signage or maybe make that foray into the exciting world of digital signs.

Store Renovation One Step at a Time

By Neil Webster
June 15, 2016
Store concepts

How often should you renovate your retail space? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? The answer to the question depends of many different factors, including the amount of traffic that goes through your store on a daily basis. But experts note that you don’t want to wait too long. As soon as your store begins to look dated or, worse yet, dirty and dingy, you begin to lose customers.