Supporting Social Distancing queues with DASH Modular Weather Shelters

With social distancing and additional measures in retail stores set to be in place for the foreseeable future, queuing to enter stores will be a mainstay of DIY, retail and hospitality outlets moving forwards.  

This new normal has presented additional challenges; one of these will be protecting customers whilst queuing outdoors. With the UK’s changeable and historically wet weather conditions, these sometimes long and boring queues will take on an added dimension if customers are also subjected to the elements. 

Dale Office Interiors recognised the need for a simple and adaptable system that could support retailers, offering a solution that could be implemented quickly, cost effectively and without the need for planning permission. 

The new system is DASH, a modular weather shelter designed specifically to enhance the customer experience by providing additional shelter during wet weather conditions, whilst promoting and maintaining social distancing. DASH is a freestanding system so there is no need to fix to buildings or other surfaces, meaning no specialist installation is required and no remedial works needed when removed, an important factor when we consider the number of carpark queuing systems currently in use. 

David Bricknell, MD of Dale Office Interiors, explains the concept behind the DASH Shelter:

“The British love a good queue, but being asked to stand in line for up to an hour, although boring, when it’s a nice warm British summers day, this is palatable. However, with the UK’s weather being so unpredictable from one hour to the next, those palatable queues can quickly become unpleasant and for many a reason not to visit retail outlets. 

When standing in a queue for a very well-known DIY store it began to rain and many waiting customers began to leave the queue to find shelter, or abandon their shopping for that day. As I stood there in the rain it occurred to me that shelters to support social distancing queues will be needed as we move through our short summer into the winter period if we expect customers to wait in long queues to enter stores. 

It was whilst stood cold and wet in this queue that the idea for DASH was born.”

Watch the Dash Video here.

DASH Modular Weather Shelters are made from galvanised steel secured to the ground using concrete weights on each supporting leg with an aluminium composite roof. Made specifically for outdoor queues, the units are just over a metre wide and can be configured to suit the retailer’s needs. The units are made to be left in place and have the ability to withstand high winds, unlike other temporary canopy units which either need to be fixed to the ground or an existing structure, or taken down in high winds and at the end of the trading day.

“We see the DASH shelter as a simple and effective solution to the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has rocked our economy, to support retail and entice customers back to stores. They make social distancing queues a tolerable experience which is a key component for British customers.” 

To learn more about DASH Modular Weather Shelters, click here https://www.daleoffice.co.uk/dash-modular-weather-shelters/

Source: A sponsored post by Dale Office Interiors.

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