Adrian Johnson, Head of Cost and Design Management at Somerfield said: “We decided that all our stores would benefit from a fast-track makeover to give them a clean, fresher image in line with our new brand identity. In the past we’ve managed decorating projects on a store-by-store basis. This time, to achieve economies of scale and ensure the same high standards throughout, we wanted to use a single company that could carry out all the work across the entire country.

“We didn’t just need a contractor with sufficient operatives to carry out the work within a set timescale, we also wanted to work with a team with the expertise and resources to project manage the whole operation. Bagnalls demonstrated that they had been successfully managing national projects of this type for over ten years and that they could fulfil our requirements.” 

Richard Edwards, Contracts Manager at Bagnalls said: “Sixty operatives worked in small teams to implement the programme, with up to twenty additional people in support roles. Depending on the premises, which ranged from small petrol forecourt convenience stores to large supermarkets, the operatives spent from one to seven nights at each location, moving in when customers left at 8.00pm and moving out before the doors opened in the morning. All were direct employees, many of whom served their apprenticeships with us. All were fully trained in the use of access equipment by Northern Counties Safety Group”.

When it came to specifying paints, Bagnalls had no hesitation in choosing Crown Trade as Richard explained: “We wanted totally dependable products to work with. Time was at a premium and we had to be sure that the coatings we used had excellent opacity and would deliver a great finish. We used Crown Trade Vinyl Silk in the highest traffic areas and Vinyl Matt where there was little potential for scuffs and marks. Crown Trade Acrylic Gloss was used to redecorate the doors and door frames.

“We used water-borne coatings throughout, to avoid tainting the fresh produce with solvent odours and to maximise the comfort of Somerfield’s customers. Crown Trade's water-borne coatings are also very quick-drying which meant that we could recoat surfaces quickly and keep the use of ‘wet paint’ signs to an absolute minimum.”