PBM considers the storage and design improvements implemented by Wilf Noble Building Supplies.
The recent developments enacted by Whitby-based builders’ merchant firm Wilf Noble are said to be underpinned by a commitment to maintaining the principles upon which the family-run business has grown, while modernising and enhancing the customer experience.
The organisation, now established in the area for more than 25 years, has made the most of racking, retail display and trade counter designs and systems from Polypal. As a result, storage capacity has been maximised and retail operations enhanced with the objective of fulfilling each customer’s exact requirements.
Three separate yet interlinked areas have now been fitted out with Polypal units — the main display and trade counter area, an adjacent warehouse dedicated to larger bulk items, and an external storage facility which also benefits from the storage and display expert’s cantilevered racking design.
“We believe in the principle of ‘If it can’t be seen, it won’t sell’ and this is clearly in evidence in our new retail and display area,” comments John Noble, Director at the builders’ merchant. “Working closely with Polypal’s design team, our retail area now optimises both volume and choice, with the centrepiece being ten multi-bay gondola units that are home for a range of products from kitchen and plumbing to decorating and electrical materials. Some 19 multi-level bays are also positioned around three perimeter walls while, importantly, there are now three promotional bays adjacent to the entrance area which we can adapt to suit particular retail objectives.”
Polypal was also tasked with addressing the trade counter requirements for Wilf Noble, creating a multi-station facility that fronts both an office area and additional high value display units. A dedicated key cutting facility has also been incorporated into the design.
Ian Craig, Business Development Manager at Polypal, adds: “We have taken advantage of a direct walkway into the adjacent warehouse where we have installed racking for larger items for Wilf Noble. These include sheet metal, palletised and wood products with our layout deliberately benefitting from a wide aisle design — aisle access of up to 3.2 metres is available to optimise loading and unloading operations. We have also kept a keen eye on safety issues as demonstrated, for example, by the use of anti-collapse mesh located at the rear of racking installations at key points in the warehouse.”
The external area at the site is said to have been utilised to the full, with Polypal’s galvanised cantilevered racking used for storage of specialised timber products. A total capacity of 64 bundles of up to 5.4 metres lengths of soft wood can be housed in this area.
“We have a well-established reputation, particularly amongst the trade sector within a radius extending some 25 miles outside the town, and we felt the time was right to enhance this success and also build on our retail capability,” continues John Noble. “Clearly this calls for optimising the mix of storage space and retail opportunities and we are delighted with the input that has been provided by Polypal both in terms of the equipment supplied and the company’s experience in the builders’ merchant sector.
“We are confident that the developments and investment that we have made will continue our pattern of growth — which started from a small portacabin and has now grown into this new facility of which we are extremely proud,” he concludes.
