Kilsaran International, a leading manufacturer of paving and concrete products, has recently supplied hard landscaping for installation in the first build of a joint site between Tesco and Dobbies, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
The project, which is the first of its kind to unite these leading high street names, sees the stores share the same building entrance atrium, before separating left and right to the individual retail outlets.
Approximately 30,000 sq metres of paving has been supplied and installed across the whole site. In order to maximise cost efficiency, the existing Tesco store is to be demolished to allow for a modern rebuild to accommodate the new combined retail joint venture.
“Kilsaran is experienced in providing hard landscaping solutions for major high street brands, with a wealth of installations in the retail field,” said Robert Davenhall, specifications manager at Kilsaran International. “Although we have worked with both Tesco and Dobbies before, the shared space initiative of this build is exceptional. It was exciting to be involved in the first dual scheme between these two high profile brands, allowing us to set the precedent.”
Not only was the project unique in its shared space environment, but also in the landscaping requirements. Besides presenting familiar retail challenges such as tight deadlines and delivery schedules, with a two month delivery and installation target meant a requirement of between four and six lorry loads per day, the aesthetic requirements were also exceptionally important. The landscaping solution had to sympathetically unite the two leading brands, while also integrating the exterior realm with the interior and delivering an ‘outdoors indoors’ shopping environment in the Dobbies store.
Bespoke “Lismore” paving, designed specifically for the Dobbies chain in partnership with their head office technical team, was manually laid throughout the interior of the store, to ensure optimal lay accuracy. In order to satisfy the external requirements, Kilsaran’s “Slane” 200x100x80mm product in Rustic provides the required aesthetic for the shared car park and plant display surrounds. The new dual atrium utilizes a three size Newgrange block paving in silver granite, uniting the two stores. The Newgrange product is part of Kilsaran’s prestigious eco paving range, manufactured with a minimum of 25% non-primary aggregates, up to 10% pre-consumer aggregate replacement and a carbon-neutral replacement for 50% of the cement.
In addition to the aesthetic and sustainable considerations, an important functional aspect for retail landscaping is the trolley rattle factor. Both the Newgrange and Lismore paving products are designed with no chamfers, resulting in a smooth, easy trolley passage with minimal rattle. Particularly critical for the interior environment, the Lismore product’s square edges and half mil spacing nib deliver a consistently positive interaction with the customer. The stores are likely to experience consistently high levels of traffic, and the maintenance was also a key concern in the decision making process. These paving solutions are not only simple to clean, but equally straightforward to replace if chipped or damaged.
“The Tesco and Dobbies brands are huge high street names. To bring both together under one roof required close collaboration between the design, planning and specification teams. We were impressed with Kilsaran’s flexibility, creative suggestions and can-do attitude,” David Fenwick, Tesco project manager at R. G. Carter, commented. “It is a credit to their team that they actually beat the required delivery deadlines, supplying all the product well within the specified time frame. The right products on time, with a can-do customer facing attitude, make all the difference.”
