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The new identity

Barlows launches new Corporate Identity

August 2008 

Barlows, a leading independent project management firm specialising in the retail sector, has launched a new corporate identity to reflect its role as a full-service provider offering some of the fastest fit-out times in the UK.

The Sheffield-based company, whose clients include some of the best-known names on the high street, has been transformed in the past few years from a traditional shopfitting firm to one that can provide a fully integrated turnkey service to retailers for their fit-out programmes.

Its new approach to projects means it is able to reduce time on site through the application of lean principles whilst also offering sustainable fit-out alternatives. It has enabled it to dramatically cut waste and reduce store delivery time by as much as 50 per cent in some cases.

To highlight the changes, Barlows has replaced its previous logo, which focused on the letter ‘B’ manufactured in steel and wood to represent a traditional shopfitter, with a cleaner, more modern concept, consisting of the full Barlows name set within a circle. The “o” in Barlows has become particularly prominent to reflect the full circle service offered to its customers. The new image is currently being rolled out, culminating in the launch of a new website in July.

Barlows was established in Sheffield in 1875 by George Barlow, the great-great-grandfather of the current chairman Michael Barlow. The company remains in family ownership and committed to its Yorkshire roots, however following the appointment of Lee Walker as managing director in 2004 it has undergone a programme of modernisation.

The changes have helped to strengthen the relationship with long-standing customers such as Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s and attract new ones including Wilkinsons, McDonald’s and Laura Ashley. They were also a factor in helping the company to achieve a 40 per cent increase in turnover in the year to the end of April 2008 compared to the previous 12 months.

Lee says: “The new-look branding highlights the transformation which Barlows has undergone, and which has left it in a much stronger position to compete in the modern retail environment.

“Shorter fit-out times are one of the key priorities for our retail clients since for every day a store remains closed, they are losing revenue. Our use of lean construction has shown we can not only complete on time but cut fit-out periods by as much as 50 per cent. It also allows us to deliver other key benefits such as reduced waste and costs, improved health and safety and better quality work with fewer defects.

“With retailers now operating in a much tougher trading environment, these benefits are more relevant than ever and Barlows is well placed to provide them.”