We feature another really big question for the Midwest Retail Services team this week. It’s a question we get asked a lot, and it’s one of those questions whose response typical begins with “Well, that depends…”
“Do I need a professional installer for my shelves/fixtures?”
The MWRS team provided a list of answers that will give you plenty to consider before ordering and installing your next set of retail shelving or any other fixture. This week’s response also marks the very first time that a video was used as an answer! We were tempted to simply leave the video as the entire response to the question (it’s THAT impactful), but our sales representative, Bob Richardson, was good enough to add his insights to help explain exactly what went wrong with this catastrophic install failure. We don’t really know where this incident happened, but it’s pretty scary to watch — especially if you’re a store manager or owner (or one of the store customers who was standing in front of those shelves when they collapsed!)
Don’t let this happen to you.
Ask Midwest Retail Services for details about our professional installation services. It could save you a huge mess to clean-up, a huge loss in merchandise, and a huge bill from your attorney.
Here are the answers…
Bob Richardson, Sales Representative
As you can see in this video the shelving was not anchored down properly. They never used anchor plates on the base feet or wall mount brackets for the uprights. I believe the shelving itself was a brand not suitable for liquor shelves. Investing in heavy, industrial-strength types of gondola shelving from brands like Madix, Lozier or Streater (which are all sold and professionally installed by Midwest Retail Services) ensures you won’t ever have to worry about a dangerous shelving collapse or potential injuries to customers and employees.
Chris Bell, Sales Representative
It depends on the size and scope of the project and the type fixtures that are being built. A handyman could technically figure out how to install a gondola or two, but with a job of any significant size, I would recommend using an experienced install crew. The cost of hiring an installer to have it done right the first time is better than unleveled, unsecured, and unsafe fixtures.
Mike Welsh, Customer Sales
Many customers may not realize how time consuming a self-install can be. They may not take into account the impact it can have on the time frame required to open a new location or the cost in delivering customer service if they attempt to do the install during business hours. The following list of questions might help the client make-up their own mind better than any answer I might give them…
- When do you want to be open?
- Are you willing and able to unload freight deliveries?
- Do you have the personnel to complete the job?
- Are you willing to get all the permits, licenses and inspections that are required before you can open?
- Are you going to be waiting on customers at the same time?
- How long are you willing to delay the install in order to allow for the time required to install it yourself?
Most people wouldn’t assemble their own car from a box of parts, or perform a root canal on their own teeth. I would suggest letting the professionals do what they do best and let the store owners work on managing their business and serving their customers.
Matt Ray, President
Take a look at that video above one more time. The cost of an installer would have been much less than the cost to replace all the product destroyed in that accident. And if one of those people in front of the shelving had been injured? I don’t even want to think about it.
Can I paint a room? Of course I can.
Can I paint it as well as a professional painter… no I can’t.
Installing gondola shelving can be simple if you understand the instructions and the importance of leveling the fixtures. When it comes to larger store spaces, heavy merchandising loads, long shelving runs, uneven floors, or wall mounted shelving, these are areas in which an amateur would need to be very cautious.
There is a reason people are called professionals.
Professional fixture installers bring a level of expertise to handle difficult applications. Professional shelving installers also provide peace of mind by removing any doubt that the fixtures were not installed correctly.
