If you have ever gone to any large store, or event, or the movie, or quite literally any place with a large number of people, then you would have seen barriers with nylon belts stretching on between them.
They are commonly called stanchions, not to be confused by the stanchions in architecture. According to CrowdControlCompany these retractable belt barriers are essential for business and event managers.
They allow you to control the flow of people in any given space.
You’ll find these barriers everywhere and anywhere, and even though they might look unassuming, they help with essential purposes.
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Why Do Businesses Use Retractable Belt Barriers?
Businesses use these stanchions to alter the flow of people on their premises. These barriers allow businesses to do that without changing any of the architecture or existing design.
Organizing customers and crows are very important management principles. For businesses, customers who are organized are more likely to buy things that the business wants them to purchase. Not to mention the fact that studies show that businesses can lose up to 60% in sales because of crowds. Crowds are caused by a lack of these retractable belt barriers and the efficient queues that they create.
For businesses like restaurants, airports, and banks, stanchions allow easier management of crowds. This leads to better safety protocols, easier dispersion of information, and better customer experiences. After all, no one prefers getting jostled in a mad crowd.
With the help of these barriers, businesses can “inform” their customers where they would like them to go and what are the important locations in their premises. These include entry and exit points, ticket lines, filling stations, and more.
Why Stanchions Over Other Methods of Crowd Control?
img source: safetysticklers.com
Stanchions certainly aren’t the only way that businesses can control crowds and customers. However, businesses prefer using retractable belt barriers for a few different reasons.
Ease of Use
One of the primary reasons that these barriers are used is because they are very easy to set up. It takes very little time and manpower for a business to start setting up stanchions to improve the flow of traffic.
There is no technical know-how needed, and the retractable belt barrier itself is very light and easy to carry.
All a business needs are enough stanchions and just a little bit of forethought.
Clarity
Often, a stanchion’s job is to control the flow of traffic by informing the customers of what the business intends them to do. The presence of a retractable belt barrier near the billing station automatically implies that the business wants the customers to queue up. And also the manner or shape they want the customers to queue up in.
Conveying this information through other visual means is possible, but that can often lack clarity and cause confusion amongst customers. These barriers are an easy way to convey implicit information about how the crowd should behave to the customers. Instead of just relying on visual signs, which can be ignored, a belt barrier provides a tangible reference for the customers.
Aesthetics
img source: acerax.co.uk
This one might seem like a frivolous reason, but stanchions help in maintaining the aesthetic of a business. Using other barriers can create cognitive dissonance in the customers’ minds when they are coming to your business premises. As you know, a confused customer is less likely to make a purchase.
You can customize your barriers in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and even get them emblazoned with your business logo. This is an easy way to increase brand recognition with very minimal effort.
Safety
A retractable belt barrier provided more safety than many other methods of crowd control does. By providing a physical barrier, which can be hard to cross, you are signaling the customers to stay away.
Not only are customers less likely to approach such places, but it can also help you with liability issues. Since a customer needs to either jump over or physically remove a barrier, it shows that the customer willfully entered a dangerous area. That, too, despite your attempts to prevent them from doing so.
Does Your Business Need Retractable Belt Barriers?
As long as you are running a business at a physical location, you’re going to need these barriers. A retractable belt barrier is essential for brick & mortar stores.
They mentally prime customers into being in an orderly state. They allow you to lead customers to exciting deals and offers. They improve the flow of customers to and fro from your billing stations.
You would have seen before that many stores keep smaller purchasable items near billing counters that are picked up by customers as they are making their way through the queue. These small items can boost your sales by a large margin.
Retractable Belt Barrier vs. Other Stanchions
img source: safetysticklers.com
A retractable belt barrier is just one type of stanchion. While there are many other types of stanchions, the retractable belt barrier is the most common one. And also the best one.
These barriers can come in two varieties, wall-mounted and free-standing. Both varieties are incredibly easy to use and very versatile. You can set them up in various manners to control different types of crowds.
They come in a variety of sizes as well, from just under 3 ft tall to well over 6 ft tall.
They can also be customized to match your brand’s logo and colors to create aesthetic cohesion in your stores.
There are many reasons why retractable belt barriers are better than most other types of stanchions.
Summing it up
They are more durable than any rope-based stanchions. Their nylon belt is not prone to fraying or getting damaged easily. They are easy to clean. Their parts can easily be replaced and aren’t expensive to fix. This makes them great for heavy traffic areas. They can be disassembled easily and carried easily as well. They are much lighter in comparison to other heavier stanchions.
Unlike most other stanchions, a retractable belt barrier can even be mounted on a wall. This further increases the durability and lifespan while also reducing any worries about portability or ease of use.
