Tactile Textiles - The Best Way To Stand Out In 2021?

The retail landscape faced many challenges throughout 2020. Stores with bricks and mortar locations saw periods of no in-store browsing and a distinct consumer shift to eCommerce. As we look ahead to the coming 12 months, retailers will be thinking about how to entice people back through the doors – and high-quality in-store signage should be top of the list.

Striking signage has always been an effective way to entice customers through the door and then inspire them to buy. With the rise of online shopping being a hub of convenience, the retail experience must be nurtured into more of an experiential journey - one that varied and interesting signage can help achieve.

There is a great opportunity ahead to use signage not only to attract and retain customers but to also offer a multi-sensory experience, something that online shopping cannot offer and something customers will return for.

Endless possibilities with textile signage

With the decreasing costs revolved around textiles and printing technologies, we have seen an uptake in retailers wanting to enhance their brand with large and bold visuals in their storefront. 

Textile signage, or ‘soft’ signage as it’s also known, opens up the possibilities of print with options of scalability whilst offering a tactile experience. Soft signage is durable, is easy to ship, creates a striking graphic impact and is low maintenance, making it ideal for multiple location rollouts or in high-traffic areas.

Choices of substrate mean brand owners can create looks that offer real ‘kerb appeal’ – woven textile, polyester, cotton, frontlit or backlit, satin or matte, eco-friendly materials and dyes, mesh fabrics, superwide seamless formats – the possibilities are endless. 

Or, they can simply choose the most cost-effective material for the job in hand.

A new textile signage solution

All of these visual retail concepts can be created with EASITEX, the evolution in signage systems and the newest movement in textile signage that simplifies installation.

Traditionally, tension fabric systems used in retail have required a silicone strip sewn to the edge, so there are longer lead times, higher pricing and no room for measurement errors. EASITEX breaks away from complicated edge fabrication, with its seamless tensioning system that’s easy to install, adjust and replace, as often as new visual branding is required.

Do away with silicone!

EASITEX uses an internal “grip strip” that means each time a graphic is changed, no sewing is required thus saving time, money and hassle for every print change. Print service providers will find it a simpler solution to outsourcing complex signage jobs and adjustments can easily be made on site.

Many retailers are looking at ways to reduce their environmental impact and reduce wastage. Without the need for complex print finishes like sewing that use non-recyclable silicone, EASITEX offers a more environmentally friendly option compared to traditional systems. The textiles used can often be recycled and be printed with biodegradable or ‘low impact’ inks. Combine this with energy saving LED systems to help signage pop in an environmentally friendly way.

The versatility you need

EASITEX allows for large, seamless panels and display graphics can easily be switched out as required without the hassle of sewing and inevitable sizing issues. It’s available in four different depths (25mm, 50mm, 80mm and 100mm double-sided) and our very own in-house designed tension tool makes installation a breeze. Frames can be manufactured completely bespoke – down to the mm – thus allowing complete flexibility in filling your space with the signage you need.

As retail competition intensifies throughout 2021 and beyond, businesses need to find a simple and cost-effective way to compete for attention and convert footfall to sales – textile signage and EASITEX provides a powerful combination for success.

If you want to learn more about the EASITEX fabric tension system for soft signage, get in touch at sales@signcompeurope.com and we can talk you through the endless benefits that EASITEX can offer.