Top Four Benefits of Awnings and Canopies

The proper installation and placement of awnings and canopies can help revitalize your business, especially if you are a small business owner or operator. Here are the top four benefits that you can receive if you install at least one awning or canopy in your store.

Awnings & Canopies | The Nostalgic Factor

You often see canopies used in “happy” environments, like weddings, parties, and open-air festivals. They are used so much in these environments, that many people associate the canopy with a happy event. You can use this nostalgic factor to your advantage.

By placing a canopy outside your store, you can make pedestrians, store visitors, and customers feel happy, even if they do not consciously know why they are feeling this way. Regardless, they are definitely a mood enhancer while they are around your store, and what can be better for business than that? Your customers will come to associate your store with happiness, and they will be more likely to return to purchase your products and services.

All-Weather Protection

Awnings and canopies are great at protecting your storefront from the weather. Sun, rain, snow, and more can all have dire effects on the aesthetic beauty of your storefront. The paint on your exterior wall could peel, leaks could occur, and glass could be chipped; obviously, the less of this that occurs, the better.

The more protected your storefront is, the less maintenance and repairs you will need to do. Over time, installing an awning or canopy outside your store can save you a lot of money that could be spent elsewhere. Keep your business looking better, for longer.

Expand Your Store Outside Onto the Sidewalk

Store space is limited for every business. However, usually smaller businesses are more affected by limited store space than larger businesses. Big box stores often have shelves stocked in an area the size of a city block. However, for the mom and pop store on the corner, it can be hard to keep up with only a store the size of a room.

Installing awnings and canopies onto the exterior of your storefront can alleviate storage and space concerns for many small business owners and operators. While it might be daunting at first, this really is no harder than storing your products inside. Many fruit and flower shops already do this.

Every morning, you take collapsible or portable shelving outside and place it under an awning or canopy. The products sit out there, protected from the elements until you close for the night. Then, you bring everything back inside and repeat the process the next day.

Save Money All-Year Round

Energy-efficiency is spreading like wildfire throughout the business community. Everyone wants to save money and help the environment at the same time. In addition, customers and potential customers alike enjoy the idea of helping the environment.

Reducing the carbon footprint and using renewables are popular ways that people support this ideal, but another way to help the environment is to reduce heating and cooling costs. The more awnings you install, the more energy-efficient your store will be. You will experience cooler summers and warmer winters by default. This will allow you to save on your utility bills, since you will not have to alter the interior store temperature as much.

For more information on designing, manufacturing or even how to install an awning or canopy, please visit Vital Signs, either in-store in Markham or online at our website today. We have helped countless business owners and operators in and around Toronto and the GTA including Richmond Hill, Concord, Newmarket, Thornhill, Brampton and Mississauga; and we can help you as well.