How Custom Covers Fit into the Retail Rollout Process
When large retail rollouts happen, they typically involve dozens of moving parts. From fixtures to signage to the merchandise itself, there are many factors to keep in mind, and one small oversight can cause a spiral of problems that can become a monetary disaster if not handled correctly. Every fixture, every display, and every detail must arrive on time, fit correctly, and look exactly as intended.
With that many moving parts, it’s easy to see how custom covers for retail displays and fixtures can end up as an afterthought. But if your retail rollout is happening in an airport, open-air shopping center, or a mall, custom covers are a must-have to protect merchandise and prevent theft during overnight hours. Instead of seeing kiosk covers or retail display covers as an after-rollout necessity, it’s critical to order them early in the rollout process to ensure that merchandise is protected from the moment it hits the floor.
That’s what we’ll be discussing today. Beginning with the unique overnight risk of open retail formats, we’ll explore where custom covers fit in, then move on to what to consider when planning covers for a rollout. We’ll cover the cost of getting it wrong before finally helping you understand how Equip fits into the process.
The Unique Risk to Displays and Kiosks in Open Retail Formats
Traditional retail locations already have a layer of security built in—a door that locks. A mall kiosk, RMU, or a pop-up in an airport don’t close at night the way a normal retail location does. The merchandise stays out, along with the equipment. And unless something is covering it, merchandise can be exposed.
Exposure like this creates several risks that a retail rollout plan needs to account for, with theft being the most obvious. But there are also other considerations to keep in mind, such as dust, cleaning chemicals used by janitorial crews, and accidental damage from foot traffic, and all of these can affect merchandise and equipment that isn’t protected properly. When you’re running a multi-location program with dozens or even hundreds of kiosks or displays, that risk becomes even more apparent when it’s multiplied across every location.
Where Custom Covers for Kiosks and Fixtures Get Left Out
A typical retail rollout process usually flows from design and prototyping through manufacture and installation. Covers to protect the fixtures and products they display after hours almost never make it into this process. Instead, the story that’s heard more and more often is that a specialty leasing tenant or visual merchandising director will realize after the fact that the new kiosk or display has no overnight protection. When they reach out to find a cover, they end up either waiting weeks for a custom cover, expediting the order and paying much higher prices, or settling for a generic cover that doesn’t fit properly or meet brand standards.
All these situations can be avoided if custom covers are included early in the rollout process. Once the prototype is finalized, dimensions can be sent to a custom cover manufacturer like Equip and covers can be rolled out at the same time as the fixtures or pop-ups themselves, streamlining the entire process. Instead of waiting weeks for custom covers or going with inadequate protection, fixtures and kiosks are secured from day one.
What to Consider When Planning Custom Covers for a Rollout
Once kiosk security covers become a part of the rollout process, there are a few things to consider to ensure that they work for your brand’s needs.
Consistency across locations: Each cover in a multi-location rollout process should be built in a standardized way, with the same materials, the same fit, and the same branding. This allows the program to look consistent across locations, whether that be a pop-up in a mall in Austin or in the midst of New York City.
Branding integration: A cover that fits over a kiosk or retail display at night is visible to anyone walking by. Custom covers can include screen-printed logos as well as color-matched fabric, allowing your overnight security measure to become a passive brand advertisement.
Security requirements: Because they work so well as a theft deterrent, including security precautions in custom covers like lockable zippers and security cables is a common requirement of malls and airports.
Lead time: Covers can take anywhere from two to five weeks to produce, depending on the manufacturer’s current production schedule, with expedited options available. When this timeline is planned for, it’s manageable, but when it’s not, it becomes a delay that can be costly.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
When timelines are rushed and execution of important components like protective covers are an afterthought, multi-store rollouts can run into many problems on opening day. A rushed cover order often means poor fit, the wrong materials, or a generic cover that doesn’t meet brand standards, while inconsistency across locations can reflect poorly on the brand. Delays in ordering covers can also leave expensive fixture and kiosk investments unprotected during that gap of time.
For kiosk and pop-up retailers, the cost of getting it wrong is not just an idea. One theft incident can wipe out revenue for days afterwards, and when you multiply that risk across dozens or even a hundred locations, building covers into your rollout program becomes a necessity to protect profit margins during the vulnerable overnight hours.
How Equip Fits into the Process
For over 25 years, Equip has worked directly with fixture and kiosk manufacturers to craft covers at all stages of the rollout process. Because we require no minimum order quantities, we often produce prototypes for fit approval before committing to full production. This allows us to manufacture covers that fit perfectly, with no gaps, giving some of the best protection on the market.
For large rollout programs, Equip offers quantity discounts and will keep designs on file for reorders as the program grows or new locations are added. When your fixtures arrive on the floor, your covers should be there too.
Why You Should Consider Investing in Custom Kiosk Covers for Your Next Retail Rollout
Retail fixture rollouts are a big investment into your brand’s physical presence. For kiosks, RMUs, and pop-ups, a custom cover is only a small line item that will help to protect this investment.
Brands that build kiosk covers into their rollout programs from the beginning are able to avoid scrambling and compromising while also plugging up security gaps that come from treating protection as an afterthought. For those of you who have a retail fixture program planned, reach out to Equip early in the process.
The earlier you include covers in the conversation, the better the outcome for everyone involved.
FAQs
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Open-retail formats like mall kiosks, displays and pop-ups inside of airports and stadiums, or freestanding brand displays in open-air shopping centers can all benefit from the addition of custom covers. If merchandise or equipment is left out overnight, a cover is worth considering.
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Equip does not require any minimum order quantity. From a single prototype to a full national rollout, it’s easy to test a cover along with your fixture before committing to full-scale production.
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Every cover is custom-built to fit a specific fixture, so the only reason you’d need a different cover for each location would be if dimensions vary between each location. Branding, material, and overall design can be standardized so that every location looks consistent.
Prepare For Your Next Retail Rollout with Equip
Planning out a retail pop-up or a national kiosk rollout? Don’t forget to protect your investment.
📧 Email: info@equipinc.com 📞 Call: 719-599-0300
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