Retailing is an enormous beast that permeates through all of our lives: it is one of the largest employers in the world.
And, in an age where celebrity architects such as Frank Gehry have the global brand recognition of high-end fashion labels, its only natural that both sides regularly join forces.
In fact, retail spaces are building types that allow for innovation, providing an opportunity for creativity and imagination. Of course, when so much work has gone into the design of stores it is vital that the fittings are manufactured and installed to the very highest standards. Happily, the UK has some of the finest and most highly qualified shopfitters in the world – most of them members of the National Association of Shopfitters (NAS).
The NAS first opened its doors for business in 1919, the same year that the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto was premiered, and Amedeo Modigliani painted his ‘Portrait of Jeanne Hébuterne’.
Without a doubt, it was a momentous year, with the launch of the NAS dictating that a trade association would now exclusively represent, promote and dedicate itself to servicing the needs of the shopfitting and interior design sector. 92 years later and it has never been more active.
A single authoritative voice for the industry, the NAS protects the interests of, and the promotion of dialogue between, its members and major stakeholders. In fact, it is committed to:
• acting as the official channel of communication between the industry and Government
• providing a single voice on behalf of the industry, protecting its economic and commercial interests
• creating and regulating fair trade practices within the industry
• providing a central conduit for industry research and the exchange of information between members
• promoting the highest levels of technical competence, training and understanding among members
• fostering good relations and understanding between members, their suppliers and their clients
Today’s NAS shopfitter is highly professional, blending traditional skills with modern business ability and technical expertise. It is only by being a master of all these diverse talents that members can deliver the best possible results on time and within budget. And those results cover a particularly broad portfolio nowadays … it’s not just shops; it’s financial services, leisure, hotels, restaurants, museums, travel or any interior requiring the appropriate level of skill and innovation.
When that’s the requirement, clients need look no further than the NAS logo. For the fact is that the skills required by a NAS member extend far beyond joinery, with the technological landscape of shopfitting and interior contracting continuing to change at an often dramatic rate of knots. The business is increasingly international too.
Whatever the challenge, though, the NAS is providing expert guidance to both members and clients every step of the way, thus allowing the creation of new and distinctive ideas that satisfy its major stakeholder’s insatiable appetite for new and exciting environments.
The NAS brand is universally recognised as a symbol of quality and reliability by designers and clients who operate within the fiercely competitive fields of shopfitting and interior contracting. As to members, they look to the NAS for specialist advice, focused services and the pursuit of knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s demanding marketplace.
The NAS is the catalyst in meeting everyone’s needs and create good relations between members, suppliers (often associate members), designers, clients and other major stakeholders.
Members need to keep up to date with the latest technology and legislation. Designers and clients need to know exactly what members are offering. The NAS keeps everyone informed, helping their members publicise achievements and customers to make the right choices.
The right choices often revolve around new design demands, which often results in working with new materials. Subsequently, NAS members have developed a unique expertise in what works best and where.
So as designers push back the boundaries of what was previously thought possible, shopfitters develop new techniques in order to allow for their implementation.
The services enjoyed by members are many and various, including a wide range of information leaflets and news sheets that cover everything from industry specific training through to grant support and working abroad.
There are several FREE preliminary advice services available too, taking in such thorny issues as employment law, training and taxation. In addition, there are a number of discounted services, including a package of insurance benefits designed specifically for shopfitters; company status reports through direct links with Equifax; a unique arrangement with the Automobile Association through which members obtain cover at low rates; ConstructionSkills accredited grant supported courses delivered through the Shopfitting Industry Training Forum; specialist computer packages prepared for the shopfitting and interior contracting industry; and low cost or free attendance at regular regional meetings featuring speakers and presentations on matters of topical interest.
Services to NAS members are constantly being updated and regular information is provided on exhibitions relevant to the industry. For further information visit the National Association of Shopfitters’ informative website at www.shopfitters.org.
