SPENCER SIGNS
Travis Perkins group acquired Wickes in 2005 for what is thought to be around £950m making the group the UK’s largest builders merchants supplying over 23000 quality trade products. In recent years Wickes has been a large part of the groups success and this has been down to their focus on their customers. The Wickes of old, seen as a builder’s yard, has softened its approach to attract not only the construction and building trade but to create more of a retail environment and customer experience for the end user.
The External Signage Pack
Installation & Maintenance
Estate & Directional
As part of this new approach Wickes have been undergoing a transformation in the look of their stores of which signage plays a large part. Having been through a lengthy design process with input from external design agencies and in-house marketing teams Wickes has come up with the brand you see today. The Chevron logo is a strong feature of their image and has been introduced on many re-fits and all new stores over the last few years. The construction of this logo itself pulls together all elements of signage craftsmanship, and as such requires a skilled team of sign makers to fabricate these complex signs. The main signs involve fabrication of aluminium and steel work, as well as built up internally illuminated acrylic letters all manufactured in sections and transported to site for installation. Some of these signs are in the order of 15000mm x 4000mm so are large signs requiring skilled installation teams, as well as fabricators, to ensure precision manufacturing and installation with interlocking panel joints supported on an internal ladder frame.
The “look” of the new Wickes brand has an industrial feel to it using galvanised steel to wrap around the illuminated acrylic lettering and keyline, as well as using a galvanised steel mesh behind the lettering with exposed fixings giving it the DIY feel. At night, with internal LED illumination of the lettering and keyline, this gives the brand a strong look which is instantly recognisable. Completing the look are freestanding totem signs and directional signage all within the corporate branding.
All sites are carefully surveyed and then drawn up by the Spencer Signs design studio prior to manufacture, to give the client high quality photographic visuals of the site’s new look for approval by the Wickes Marketing and Property team. Planning applications and structural calculations are also carried out by Spencer Signs on a number of these sites where required.
Looking to continue the rebrand across the estate over the coming years we are happy to be involved in the supply chain working alongside a creditable number of Wickes contractors in order to deliver the transformation.
