Half Wall Construction

A suitable way to reduce the risk of Coronavirus transmission in your stores is to construct strategically located divider walls. This is an effective method to change traffic flow and create adequate social distancing while allowing you to control the shopper’s path to a desired location.

Divider walls are permanent addition to your store floor plan and are referred to by several different names: half wall, pony wall or knee wall. These type of walls differ from a regular walls only by their height and can physically be any wall height that is short of meeting the ceiling. In the retail construction industry they are commonly known as half walls.

In a retail store setting, most half walls are typically around four feet tall or higher. This allows retailers to install a gondola shelving section against the wall to leverage the space for merchandising and sales opportunities. A standard wall gondola section at 48” to 54” in height provides plenty of space for shelving or pegboard that hold relevant category merchandise or impulse items.

During this new era of retail, any changes or improvements to your sales floor must include a consideration of how you can increase sales with the safety upgrades you make.

Where are the Best Locations for a New Half Wall?

Finding the right location for a half wall is critical as you rearrange your sales floor. At first glance, it may not be apparent where to add one. Here are several key areas you should consider:

• Adjacent Main Entrance Doors: Placing one near the main drive aisles where shoppers enter or exit can guide their path and create more social distancing. Note: Be sure to conform to local building and fire codes and get appropriate inspections and approvals.
• Unused Checkout Lanes: Removing a surplus checkout lane provides a great opportunity to create more aisle space for merchandising or adding more width to adjacent checkout stations. A half-wall can be used to funnel customers efficiently through additional space.
• Between Product Category Departments: If your store currently has certain areas that create roadblocks with customers, a half wall can be built to improve customer flow before or after that spot to keep traffic moving.
• Waiting Areas: Stores with pharmacies and other ancillary services often have a waiting area that contains several chairs as customers await to place or pickup orders. A half-wall gives you the ability to create a room that invites customers to stay in one area with proper distancing.

Every store and floor plan has it unique challenges when comes to space. Along with aisle realignment, a new half wall can be a quick and affordable solution.

The DisplayMax construction team can help you identify strategic locations and can construct half walls to your specifications. They have the experience and skillset to build half walls including framing, drywall, electrical/data lines, finish trim and painting.

We can even supply you with the gondola and shelving you need to leverage the area for more sales opportunities or install the half wall as part of a store refresh or store remodel.

Take the first step in the process and fill in the form below and one of our experts will be in touch to discuss the specifics of your store. Or, feel free to call us at 810-494-0400 for immediate assistance.