Why Do Shops Have Roller Shutters?

Visiting any high street in the UK today, you would be hard pressed to find a shop that does not have roller shutters or a shuttered industrial door. This is due to the increase in opportunistic crimes in many parts of the country and the desire for shopkeepers to keep their premises more secure.

So why do shops have roller shutters? Shops have roller shutters primarily for security reasons, to deter any unwanted intruders and protect their shopfronts from vandalism.

In this article, we’ll explain what roller shutters are and discover all the ways a roller shutter could benefit your business.

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What Are Roller Shutters?

With the assistance of either a spring or an electric motor (or both), roller shutter doors are constructed from many individual horizontal slats made of steel or aluminium and operated by rolling the slats up and down on a barrel with guides on either side holding the curtain securely in place.

There are many types of roller shutter doors available for domestic, commercial, and industrial use. It is usually their intended use that defines and specifies the type of device. 

What Are The Benefits of Roller Shutters?

Owning a shop can be stressful. You’ve got all manner of duties, tasks, and worries during your working hours, but you’re also worried about your shop getting damaged or vandalised after you leave. The benefits of roller shutters for retail are numerous, and together they provide the most valuable benefit of them all: peace of mind.

1. Security

As shoplifting offences increased by 7% last year, it’s no wonder that retailers are exploring all possible security options to protect themselves.

You can protect your premises from burglars with roller shutters, which are made from robust steel, aluminium or a similar material. It conveys to potential thieves that the shop is well protected, first and foremost, by serving as a visual deterrent. Due to the fact that thieves tend to target properties with weak security, your shop will be less likely to become a target.

Even if someone tries to break in, they will have a hard time penetrating the thick, galvanised material. It is possible to resist heavy impacts with roller shutters, meaning unresourced burglars will have no chance of breaking in.

Especially useful for high street shops, roller shutter doors protect the shopfront from burglary and mechanical problems, designed to protect businesses from criminal damage, vandalism, and theft, especially after hours.

2. Vandalism protection

Retail shutters serve as an effective barrier between your shop and the public, thereby eliminating the threat of vandalism. Your shop’s shutters will be the only thing your attackers can use to attack your business. While your shutters may become damaged, the shop itself will remain in great condition for when you reopen, and you won’t have to worry about smashed glass or unwanted graffiti. 

3. Protection from the elements and fires

Additionally, roller shutters offer effective weather protection. The protection may be as minor as preventing dust and dirt from accumulating on your door, or it may include preventing falling branches from hitting your door. Regardless of the weather, your shop will remain protected. Heavy winds, torrential rains, and fierce hail will not damage roller shutters.

It is possible to treat roller shutters with materials that make them fire-resistant. They can then be set up to function as automatic fire-break doors, which prevent a building fire from spreading by starving it of oxygen. As a result, people are also able to escape safely and can put out the fire quickly.

The use of automatic fire shutters is one of the most valuable tools in a modern fire strategy. Combining them with sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and smoke extraction systems can save lives and prevent total building destruction.

4. Insulation

As a result of new technologies such as better insulation materials and high-speed opening mechanisms, roller shutters have become a solution for energy conservation. According to the UK’s Carbon Trust, roller shutters can save companies up to 20% on heating and cooling costs.

The insulation provided by roller shutters is an overlooked benefit. Heat is kept inside your shop by roller shutters, which are made of thick steel sheets. In addition to improving the comfort of your shop for your customers, it allows you to reduce your energy bills, making it a cost-effective investment. In addition, your business will be much more environmentally friendly, which will boost its reputation and help the planet at the same time.

5. Low maintenance (cost-effective)

Security roller shutters are a cost-effective solution. A roller shutter lasts for a very long time due to its durability and resilience. Easy to install and extremely versatile, security shutters offer incredible value. No matter the material, steel or aluminium, they usually come at a reasonable price. Despite the initial outlay of shutter doors, their longevity outweighs their cost, as most shutter doors last a lifetime despite costing little more than standard alarm systems.

The Summary

Roller shutter doors are a no-brainer when it comes to providing high levels of security to your business. Installing shutter doors will ensure the safety of your shopfront, business, and employees. With a roller shutter solution, not only will you protect your property from thieves, vandalism, and damage, but you can even customise it to fit your tastes, making it a versatile, effective, and colourful security solution for your property.

In any retail operation, roller shutters are vital. The livelihood of a shopkeeper can be destroyed in minutes by vandalism, theft, and fire. A roller shutter can either stop or delay such an incident.

Request a Free Roller Shutter Consultation For Your Business Today  

At Sykes, we have been manufacturing and installing roller shutters for more than 35 years, and we provide a full suite of bespoke shutter design services tailored to any budget and vision for all of our customers.

To ensure best-in-class service, our in-house experts consider aesthetics, material, security, and your own requirements when designing and fitting roller shutters. For spectacular results, we combine an extensive level of expertise with your own vision through our onsite inspection service.

Tell us about your job today and we will deliver an onsite, free and accurate quotation. Experience our amazing end-to-end service today, and get your shutters rolling.

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