Products from across Forbo Flooring Systems’ wide portfolio, including Westbond, Tessera carpet tiles and Sarlon vinyl, have been installed throughout key Thomson stores in the UK, which were highly praised at the 2012/2013 Fly Forbo competition, thanks to the company’s reliable service and integrated offer.
Thomson, one of the best known travel brands in the UK, wanted to create flagship stores that would be welcoming to its customers; with a relaxed, comfortable environment that encouraged them to stay as long as they needed to find their perfect holiday.
Joanne Aldridge, Retail Transformation Manager at TUI UK & Ireland and the team of Property Managers, selected a mixture of Forbo’s Westbond and Tessera Ethos carpet tiles and Sarlon acoustic vinyl flooring to create an integrated design that would be rolled out across a number of Thomson’s superstores and high-street stores.
“Forbo’s product portfolio offered us an array of flooring solutions that met differing design and functionality needs, for areas such as children’s zones and customer consultation areas. We wanted a distinct look and feel rolled out across the estate and Forbo was able to offer that ‘one-stop’ approach, meaning we were able to purchase all our flooring requirements from one supplier. This saved us money and made the refurbishment process much easier - a big help on a national project of this scale.”
In the Holiday Superstores Thomson utilised a mix of Forbo’s Tessera and Westbond carpet tiles, depending on the area. For the main thoroughfare, Tessera Ethos was installed as it can withstand heavy footfall, whilst the luxurious Westbond range was used to entice customers to browse and take their time in the brochure area.
Forbo’s Westbond was installed in four colourways: Wedgewood, Dust Blue, Blue Moon and Purple, in an enticing patchwork design with a curved edge adjoining the Tessera Ethos tiles. Joanne explains: “By joining the different styles of carpet tiles across the store’s floor, it has helped to establish an unconscious pathway to signpost customers to the Foreign Currency Bureau, which is usually located at the back of the store.”
Forbo’s Sarlon Code Zero was also used within the kids’ areas, providing a quiet and engaging environment, thanks to its bright colours and acoustic performance.
Joanne concluded: “Some of the products we chose for the stores are part of Forbo’s modular portfolio, comprising a variety of colour coordinated product collections, including carpet tiles. This made it easier for us to mix and match sizes, styles and formats of tiles. Plus, if a carpet tile is accidently damaged, we can lift it and replace it with a new one - meaning we will not have to change the entire floor covering, which will help keep costs down in the long term.”
