GPX Group Blog

We’re investing again – this time in the world’s first fully automated polishing machine.

The Bermaq Ami-C diamond edge polisher promises “a perfect high quality finish” for acrylic and similar materials – that’s the kind of language we love.

We use diamond polishing on a range of standard Point-of-Sale retail display products as well as bespoke display and signage items for our clients such as Marks and Spencer, The Arcadia Group, dciArtform and loads of other retailers and retail agencies. The process provides a clean-as-glass finish to acrylic and similar plastics and the Ami-C enables bevels up to 60º lean.

It’s great to see the Bermaq Ami-C up and running. As with all our investment in cutting edge technology, this machine will enable us complete this process more efficiently, faster and to a higher quality – and that’s good news for our growing customer base and great news for UK-manufacturing as it allows us to remain competitive in a global market place.

And less waste is always a great idea and is an element of our ambitious sustainability plans.

For the geeker among you the Bermaq Ami-C offers

• Working length: 3100mm
• Maximum thickness: 120mm
• Cutting depth: from 0.05 to 4mm
• Maxium feed speed: from 0 to 3.5m/min
• Total electric power: 5,5kW.
• Milling angles range: -5º a +60º

This latest purchase cost approx £40,000 and follows our £300,000 investment in the Cutlite Penta Plus LM3020 laser cutting system.

Friday 15^th December saw us wearing Xmas jumpers for two great causes.

We were raising money for St Basil’s Big Brum Sleepout appeal and Birmingham Dogs Home. Our Christmas fundraising event has been an annual event for a number of years with many of the staff wearing jumpers and t-shirts that range from the witty & smart to downright offensive. While some wear a new jumper every year, others simply dust the mothballs of the same Xmas jumper each year – in fact some don’t even bother to get rid of the mothballs. It doesn’t matter – they are all worn to raise much needed funds & have a good laugh at the same time.

Those that don’t (or won’t) wear Xmas jumpers or t-shirts, raise funds in other ways or simply donate to help us collect as much as we can.

Our efforts are helped by Mike Wright’s very generous match funding. This year we raised £310 in total and the amount will be split between our two chosen charities.

St Basil's works with the young and vulnerable homeless across the region by providing accommodation and support.

Birmingham Dog's Home works across the region to rescue and rehouse dogs.

Take a look at our gallery of photos from the day – thanks to Lorraine and Izzy for expert camera work.

Wrights GPX has established an unbeatable reputation as perhaps the UK’s leading name in Slatwall shelves and accessories – and they believe they have a display solution for almost any product.

The Slatwall shelves are manufactured by Wrights Plastics at their UK West Bromwich manufacturing base, as well as a massive range of point of sale display and retail display products.

The acrylic fabricator produce a huge range of Slatwall shelves and accessories and the range is updated to include new products and take account of changing consumer behaviour. Some Slatwall shelves incorporate ticket holders and sign holders to allow branding and promotions to be easily included.

Slatwall remains perhaps the ideal shop-fit solution providing a totally flexible merchandising platform with an instant makeover of the previous decoration. It is probably the most versatile way of transforming plain walls into effective and maximised merchandising areas and is easy to install, versatile, economical and available in many different colours and finishes. In addition, there are now literally 1000s of Slatwall display products that can help any retailer make the most of their product lines. Hard to display and awkwardly shaped items are no longer a display nightmare as there are Slatwall display solutions to hand. There is even more good news. The vast majority of Slatwall display products offer exceptional value. Not only is the cost low, but buying from the right manufacturer means you are investing in products that are made to last and can be used again & again, season after season.

Why choose Slatwall Shelves from Wrights GPX?

We are one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of Slatwall display products. From our base in West Bromwich we make 1000s of products using high quality material. We have developed and prototyped lots of specialist display products – responding to changing markets, new product launches and the needs of our client base of specialist and general retailers across the UK.

Established in 1969 we are a family-run business committed to UK jobs and manufacturing. Our history of investment in people and leading-edge technology has helped ensure we remain competitive in a global economy. Our bespoke division provides retail display solutions for big name brands such as Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Arcadia Group and many others. Buying direct means customers are assured of the best value – and we offer massive discounts for bulk purchases.

Need some ideas on the best Slatwall shelves and products to display your product ranges? Look no further as we have a brief guide to help you make the most of almost every product range from the 1000s of Slatwall shelves and Slatwall accessories to choose from.

Accessories. It is a wide term so many trays and troughs may be perfect for a range of smaller accessories but there are also a good range of display products for specific items such as hats, purses & bags, sunglasses and fashion jewellery and charms.

Books.   Coming in lots of shapes and sizes but often a big money product range, there are is a range of book display supports, racks and multimedia Slatwall shelves that can be used to display and store a wide range of books.

Cards. Greetings cards and seasonal card sales are potentially big sellers for general retailers and fortunately there is a comprehensive range of Slatwall products that are made specifically for this sector. Card racks can be combined with gift wrap racks, troughs and dispensers to maximise gift card and wrap sales.

Cosmetics. In 2015, the UK cosmetics industry was valued at £17b and ranges include everything from high-end to organic brands, fun ranges and men’s products. There are a range of Slatwall shelves that can be used. Shelves with ticket price holders will help support brands and customer communications and specific cosmetic trays will enable retailers to lots of products in a clear and eye-catching way. Distinctly shaped shelves will add interest and appeal.

Crafting. This is another sector that has seen massive growth in recent years and many ranges are easily introduced into a retailer’s product range. The subject covers lots of products but standard shelves, trays and troughs should offer all the display options needed and Slatwall stationery items can also be useful.

Fashion. More and more retailers are adding fashion items to their general ranges as these become cheaper and more widely available. The Slatwall range is up for the challenge, with specialised products to help retailers make the most of ranges including hats, caps, gloves, shirts, sweaters & jumpers. Touch here for more details.

Food & Drink. A staple ‘diet’ for most retailers so it is not surprising that there are plenty of Slatwall options here, with lots of trays, shelves and troughs. Heavy duty shelves will support weightier food items and a bow fronted tray offers space and appeal.

Gifts. The term covers a wide variety of products so it is a handy that there is a wide variety of Slatwall solutions, from trays and troughs in a variety of sizes. Additionally Slatwall shelves often include useful lips to retain goods and many also offer a price ticket holder for you to add that all important branding info. A useful display item is the 2way shelf. It can be used as a flat shelf when needed or turned over for use as a handy tray for gifts – a perfect 2-for-1!

Gift Wrap. As with gift cards (see above) Slatwall offers loads of products designed to make the most of your gift wrap sales, and they can all be found here. You’ll find racks, dispensers, boxes, rails and containers for all your wrap, bows, ribbons and cards – brilliant for all year round sales or to boost seasonal sales such as Xmas and Valentine’s Day.

Jewellery. Jewellery ranges keep on selling. From high end lines to fun fashion jewellery as well as the demand for charm bangles & bracelets, many non-specialist retailers are adding jewellery ranges either as standalone lines or to upsell with fashion, gifts, accessories & cosmetic ranges. We have put together a selection of jewellery display products here.

Magazines. Despite the rise of digital access, magazines remain a core range for many retailers and there are plenty of products to help you display magazines and promote new issues, special editions and seasonal print. In addition to magazine racks in a variety of shapes, there are standard Slatwall shelves with deep lips that can be used to display magazines.

Mobile Phones. Usefully many Slatwall cradles for phones also include pockets for pricing & product info to make it really easy to sell the benefits of the latest must have mobiles. Touch here to find out more.

Spectacles & sunglasses. Again another Slatwall range that appeals to specialist retailers & opticians, as well as general retailers adding a high margin product line especially during the summer season. There are plenty of options to suit the number of lines sold. Find them here.

Sports Equipment. Sports equipment sells but is often difficult to display – until now. There is now a range of high quality low cost display solutions for everything from footballs to tennis rackets, golf clubs to golf umbrellas and lots of clothing and sporting accessories in between and now our Slatwall sports equipment range is gathered in one handy location.

Stationery. With strong sales all year round and lots of season boosts such as Back to School and Christmas, stationery items are a must-have for most general retailers. Often difficult to display, we have overcome that issue by putting together a range of Slatwall stationery display products that offer effective display solutions at unbeatable value. The range includes dispensers, trays, bins and even complete units.

Why not download Guide to Slatwall Shelves, Racks and Point of Sale Display for easy reference?

We’ve reduced the price of our unique ‘installation-free’ LED estate agent window display kits by up to 64%

Prices begin from £257.50 exc VAT.

The kits offer an installation-free all-in-one solution for LED window displays for estate agents, retailers, restauranteurs and lots of others. Each kit includes a stylish silver-chromed 2500mm high frame that is attached to the window with suction cups and weighted at the bottom for extra stability, plus a number of high quality LED light panels that connect magnetically to the frame and give off a subtle but bright LED. Also included is a transformer.

These kits require no specialist installation; positioned in the window in minutes, simply plug into the nearest socket and the display lights up to create an eye-catching display selling 24/7.

The LED light pockets include A3 and A4 sizes in landscape and portrait configurations.

Estate Agent Window Display Kits From £257.50

Kit500 includes a 500mm wide frame, 2x double A4 portrait LED light frame pockets and 2x single A3 landscape LED light frame pockets. This kit was previously priced at £828 and is now £257.50 – a 63% saving. Just two kits are left in stock.

Kit730 includes a 730mm wide frame and 1x triple A4 portrait LED light pocket. 1x double A4 landscape LED light frame pocket and 1x double A3 portrait LED light frame pocket. Previously £924 this kit is now just £275 – a 64% saving. Just three kits remain.

Kit1050 includes a 1050mm wide frame and 2x triple A4 landscape LED light frame pockets and 2x double A3 landscape LED light frame pockets. Previously £1316.50 this is now an incredible £397.50 – another 64% saving. Just eight kits remain

The retailers warns that stock is very limited so recommend interested buyers visit their website without delay at https://www.gpxgroup.com/estate-agents-led-window-display

Designers in the know know that Perspex® coffee tables and other furniture remain a top trend for the coming season.

Here’s some of the top international trend setters opinions of the benefits of Perspex® furniture.

The fabulous Boco do Lobo furniture site, in their feature on ‘2017 Home Design Trends’ quote designer Ed Ku “In 2017, I hope to see transparency as a trend in home design as well as in the world at large. Acrylic and Lucite bring a sense of order and weightlessness…”

While the stylists fave The Zoe Report declares “If you’re looking for neutrals that are anything but blah, we highly recommend acrylic accents—they work with absolutely any decor style.”, Kensington Design recently blogged that “Perspex® furniture works almost everywhere. Whether your home is contemporary or traditional, Perspex® furniture works as a wonderful counterbalance to solid furniture.”

And the trend-spotting (and setting) online furniture retailers at Havenly in their feature ‘5 Home Décor Trends to Try in 2017’ state “we love how light and airy acrylic furniture feels in nearly any design style. It is often a great contrast and can add an edgy element to an otherwise classic design. Even better, acrylic allows your other design elements to really shine, so if you have a bright blue sofa or a hand-dyed rug, an acrylic coffee table may be your new best friend.”

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves!

Budget Acrylic Nesting Tables Glass Effect

Kris Jarrett of the Driven by Décor blog declared on the blog in January this year that acrylic and Perspex® furniture was her latest “design crush” and high on her priorities for some room planned makeovers. It’s not hard to see the reason behind Kris’ crush as items such as Perspex® coffee tables offer lots of options regardless of the interior design, providing a perfect finishing touch for rooms’ ancient and modern, minimal or choc full of eclectic pieces.

For example a clear acrylic coffee table will add functionality without detracting from the surrounding scheme – perfect for use on a feature floor covering for example. They are also a brilliant way to add impact through thoughtful dressing and styling; use an acrylic coffee table to keep an interior design scheme fresh with the latest must-have pieces.

Perspex® coffee tables at affordable prices

The good news is you don’t have to break the budget to be part of this designer trend. We make a range of high quality Perspex® coffee tables and side tables at affordable prices. With options including Prestige, Premium and Budget ranges there will be an affordable item in the range – and the entire range is made by us here in the UK from high impact clear acrylic.

For more details go here https://www.gpxgroup.com/acrylic-tables

Great news – Wrights GPX is getting bigger & we’ve completed the first stage with a move to Shrewsbury!

Production will remain at West Bromwich but sales, support and marketing has joined the team at Mid West Displays, our sister company in the Wrights Plastics Group located in Shrewsbury.

Their dedicated sales team has made Mid West Displays the #1 display brand for loads of sectors including estate agency – and they’ll be working hard to do the same for GPX.

To help them grow the business we’ve made some important changes

• We’ve added a FREEPHONE sales hotline number 0800 722 3098 so you can order via the web or direct with one of the sales team
• We’ve reduced delivery charges – with FREE delivery for UK mainland addresses on orders of £85 or over
• A 1hr delivery time slot is now STANDARD for all UK mainland orders – there’s no more frustrating waiting with this service
• Improved our IT systems and website to make browsing, ordering & tracking your order even easier

And the GPX expansion continues

Our plans for the brand don’t end there. We will adding new products to the range very soon and there are lots of exclusive offers for everyone who signs up to FREE newsletter including loyalty promo codes and regular special offers.

The team at Shrewsbury are experts at sales and customer support – helping you choose the right product at the right price every time. They’ll make sure your product is dispatched quickly and keep you up to speed on our new ranges.

For your EXCLUSIVE offers and deals simply join the Wrights GPX mailing list – its free and takes seconds to join & as a thank you you’ll receive an email containing a welcome promo code giving you 10% off your next order.

We’ve been improving the photography of our popular range of acrylic coffee tables and occasional tables. Today we had a photoshoot for some of our acrylic side tables.

Arriving about 9.30 our art director and photographer first sorted some suitable settings for the photographs. Light is crucial when photographing clear acrylic; too much light can make the table disappear and too little light is always a problem for photographers. Luckily there was plenty of natural light so we were able to make the most of our valuable time.

We were able to use three locations in the property: an elegant living room, the light filled breakfast room and even the garden, packed full of colour and variety.

We were the guest of Birmingham potter Karen Beard. In fact we’ve featured some of her lovely ceramics in some of the photos. Karen’s house appealed as a mix of modern and vintage pieces, some bold colours and a strong sense of individual style. This reflects the profile of our purchasers and demonstrates that acrylic side tables, nested tables and coffee tables are the ideal complement to an eclectic mix of interior styles. The clear acrylic tables especially don’t detract from the pieces around them.

The photographer was Birmingham-based Nick Hynan who has carried out most of the new photography for our range of acrylic side tables, nested tables and coffee tables.

Photographing our range of acrylic side tables

There were three tables to be photographed. The Prestige glass effect side table (FUR69) is the top of the range manufactured from super sturdy 12mm Perspex® and offering ultra realistic glass look but without glass’ weight or cost.

Our Premium acrylic side table range also has the quality assurance of being made from Perspex®. We use 8mm acrylic for this sturdy range and offer three finishes: clear, acrylic and black.

We’ll be updating our website with our photos soon so watch this space.

For customers it seems that Christmas arrive earlier every year – but for retailers it is always an almost year round operation. And this is the time of year to plan your Christmas point of sale.

Retailers in particular need to use this time to turn back the tide to internet and discount shopping.

To start your planning, determine what you want your Christmas point of sale to achieve. Communicate clear messages about your stock, prices and offers, of course. But Christmas is a boom time for footfall and effective Christmas point of sale display will help you retain those customers and hopefully create long-term & valuable relationships.

From a practical point of view, it is likely that you’ll have lots more stock, a bigger range and faster turnover of products without any additional space. So you’ll need the Christmas point of sale to tell more messages in less space. Think of using smaller sign holders and ticket holders, shelf talkers and wobblers to make the most of available space. Ensure signs, posters and tickets are clear & professional looking.

Remember the customer journey begins outside your store so make sure all external space is used – from a traditional pavement signs to effective window displays and communications that are updated regularly throughout the season.

Christmas is the time for good will to all men & great cross-selling. Use your Christmas POS to upsell, cross-sell and highlight related products across the branch. Use display and promotion areas to maximise these sales activities. Christmas is about gifting so make gift options easy to see & create added income through gift packs and selections.

Effective Christmas Point of Sale

POS is for life, not just for Christmas. With so many cost-effective point of sale products, it will not break the marketing budget when ordering extra & they will last season after season so treat your store to the gift that keeps on giving. To be most effective, planning is essential.