Christmas is a period of sharing gifts and spending time with families. As always it is also a time for consumers to do a lot of shopping. The retail spending in the United Kingdom during the 2017 Christmas period was estimated to be at £25bn (Statistis.com). Even with the developments in e-commerce, Shopping Centres saw an increase in footfall, with Black Friday driving the traffic during the Christmas period. London’s Westfields Shopping Centre more than doubled the footfall on this day (Cityam.com). This increased footfall gives rise to security concern for the consumers.

Shopping Centres are designed as areas of trading and at most times of the day there are many people out and about walking from shop to shop. This means that keeping these areas clean, attractive and safe for people to be in is of paramount importance. However, thousands of unwary shoppers become the unfortunate victims of accidents across the year. In 2015/16, 621,000 people sustained a non-fatal injury, and out of this a total of 118,000 were caused by slipping and tripping in shopping centres. In many cases these accidents could have been avoided if only the centre had taken great care.

We believe such accidents can be prevented at the entrance to the centre – it starts with installing the right shopping centre flooring product. These products not only have to combat dirt and moisture but also look aesthetically pleasing to fit into the surroundings.

Shopping Centre Flooring Options

A heavy duty aluminium plank Entrance Matting system that offers excellent performance and longevity in high traffic areas can be used for maintaining safety in malls. Specifically, heavy duty matting systems such as INTRAform with Polyamide inserts create the best proposition for fighting slips and trips. INTRAsystems high quality polyamide secondary sheet fibre (INTRAlux Elite) has superior moisture absorption capabilities trapping 5.4L/M². Using our INTRAform Double Module product gives double the number of moisture absorbing fibres than a standard mat and is the best option for keeping internal floor surfaces dry and safe. Using INTRAform matting with our Polyamide insert is the most effective option for maximum moisture removal.

Overall, keeping Shopping Centres safe is not only about having the right products but making sure they are correctly specified. All INTRAsystems products have undergone extensive testing to ensure optimum performance in any situation.

We can never predict when the next slip or trip will occur, but we can endeavour to prevent it! Check out our case studies on Silverburn or Festival Place Shopping Centre to see our Entrance Matting in action and then contact our friendly sales team on 01425 472000 or info@intrasystems.co.ukfor any shopping centre matting enquiries you might have.