Transforming a former hairdressing salon into a stationery shop could have been a tall order but with the help of Salepoint, All About Stationery in Fleet is now fully operational.

The store is a new venture for Mr Avlani and Mr Bharat Mehta and devising a layout for the store required expert assistance. Salepoint was called in to find a solution and, using its state-of-the-art CAD design technology, created a suitable interior for the store that accommodated all the necessary requirements.

Shelving, counters, slatwalls and a wide variety of dedicated accessories were strategically placed around the virtual area, using the space available to its maximum potential in order to present the stock in its best light.

“We agreed upon the right shopfittings to present a modern, contemporary appearance to the store interior,” comments Salepoint’s James Stewart. “The cream colour scheme gives a soft backdrop without detracting from the stock itself. The modular nature of the equipment also enables the client to expand the stock ranges on offer without being inconvenienced.”

Steve Brown used to run a stationery shop in Scunthorpe High Street. Named SOHO - a reference to the familiar small-office/home-office formula - his business catered more for business users than the typical high-street shopper.

SOHO did brisk business. But Steve realised that, if it were to continue growing, he had to move to a more appropriate location for its customer base.

That move took SOHO out of the high street and into a more suitable location for a business-to-business retailer in an out-of-town business park. “In our new premises, we have been able to expand our range and adopt a new layout to suit the enlarged business”, comments Steve.

At the back of the new store is a raised area which houses a new range of office furniture – a new departure for SOHO. “Although we have made good use of existing shop-fittings from our previous shop, we have had to re-think the whole concept for this place”, says Steve.

With help from shopfitting specialist Salepoint, Steve re-designed his store to make the best use of the new space. “My business has entered a new phase with the move to new premises”, says Steve. “It would have been easy to waste all this extra space, but by paying attention to the shopfitting element, I have made the most of the new location”.