Why Choose Sport Mat Rubber Flooring for Retail Spaces?

When Architects and Designers work together, they are faced with several complex decisions with every project they work on.

They have to consider several important factors like budget, product availability, product lifespan, acoustics, design aesthetics and the list goes on.

Mistakes are costly, so a lot of time is spent making informed decisions to ensure the best outcome. Imagine deciding on wood panels that warp with the humidity or choosing a beautiful flooring product only to discover that the high-volume traffic wears out the flooring in 2 years.

The Architects and Designers can expect some unpleasant phone calls if those kinds of things happen. Nobody wants this to happen which is why they spend the time and energy to research and make those big decisions.

Here are just a few of the important things that architects and designers consider when making decisions about finishing materials for a project in a retail space.

Product Durability

Durability is certainly a crucial factor to consider when choosing finishing materials for any retail space. The materials need to be able to withstand the wear and tear of daily use with a high volume of foot traffic from customers. Durable materials will help ensure the retail store looks good for many years to come, which is important for creating a positive impression with customers.

Design Aesthetic

Architects and designers must consider the design aesthetic when choosing finishing materials for a retail store. The materials should complement the overall design of the store, creating a cohesive and visually appealing environment for customers. This includes choosing materials that match the color palette, texture, and style of the store.

Budget

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing finishing materials for a retail store is the budget. Architects and designers must make sure the materials they choose fit within the budget constraints of the project. While it may be tempting to choose more expensive materials to achieve a certain look or feel, it is important to make sure the budget is not exceeded.

Product Availability

Architects and designers need to make sure that the materials they choose are readily available so construction deadlines are met. Delays in procuring materials can cause significant delays in the construction schedule, so it is important to make sure the material availability won’t cause any production delays before making their final choices.

Acoustics

Acoustic design is also a very important factor to consider when choosing finishing materials for a retail store. Architects and designers need to make sure the materials they choose will help reduce noise levels, creating a more comfortable shopping environment for customers. This is particularly important in large retail stores and malls where noise levels can be quite high.

How acoustic design impacts the shopping experience…

Shopping malls can attract more foot traffic to stores when they are well-designed and provide an enjoyable shopping experience for customers.

Each store in a mall will of course choose the flooring they feel is best for their store and brand experience. There is, however, only one flooring material required for the mall's common areas. With continuous, heavy foot traffic and unique challenges malls face, Dinoflex Sport Mat rubber flooring is an excellent choice.

Recycled Rubber flooring is an excellent choice for many reasons but let’s talk about sound.

A study¹ by the Andreyev Acoustics Institute found the revenue of retail shops can go up by 5-10 percent when the acoustic environment is optimized.

On the other hand, the same study discovered bad retail soundscapes can lead to a 28?crease in sales.

A key component of designing retail and public spaces is making them enjoyable and comfortable. The acoustic comfort of a shopping mall is an extremely important characteristic. Specifically, the study mentioned above examined public spaces in malls have a large volume and are perceived as acoustically uncomfortable.

Poor acoustic conditions are primarily due to a long reverberation time. The malls in the study had reverberation times that reached 4–5 seconds at middle frequencies.

Elevated background noise and reverberation time values result in poor speech intelligibility in a noisy space as explained in this study² by the College of Engineering, University of Porto.

Sound-absorbing materials are typically applied to surfaces of the space to improve acoustics. In the article, they discuss two ways to improve the acoustics of food courts. Changes in acoustics were considered significant and positive in both cases after the reverberation time was reduced by about half. In the case of the considered spaces, Sabine's equation holds. Sabine’s equation is used to find average absorption coefficients, which can be used to estimate reverberation times in space without absorbing. This and other studies have been analyzed to develop a method for qualitatively assessing the acoustics of public spaces.

Excellent sound absorption is a major reason retail spaces can benefit from Dinoflex recycled rubber flooring.

Focus on beautiful visual design is naturally a high priority for architects and designers. Aesthetics are important but it is a mistake to overlook acoustic design. However, the overall experience of bad acoustics can have a dramatically negative impact on retail businesses.

The longer consumers stay in malls and stores, the more they will spend. If the loud noise makes the experience unpleasant, many people are going to leave as soon as possible no matter how pretty it looks.

By absorbing noise, rubber reduces visitor stress by keeping shopping mall spaces relatively quiet. Since it’s also made for use in hockey arenas it can be installed in areas subject to high moisture and keeps sound reverberation to a minimum.

A quiet, aesthetic floor can help keep customers shopping longer and help them return more often if they feel comfortable walking around the mall.

Originally, Sport Mat rubber flooring was developed for use in gyms where extremely tough, long-lasting flooring is required. However, with Sport Mat's beautiful array of color

Sport Mat rubber flooring is also designed to be slip-resistant - even when wet, allowing people to safely traverse the mall. Its low-maintenance, easy-to-clean nature ensures that the floor looks and feels inviting and clean.

Sport Mat comes in 54 beautiful colors but it doesn’t stop there. With recycled rubber flooring from Dinoflex, customers can order custom colors by sending in other finishing materials for color matching or by using the online Color Innovator.

Rubber flooring for retail chains

Take branding to another level. Rubber flooring from Dinoflex is more than durable. Aesthetic options also include brand assertion. With a distinctive flooring design, a brand can establish its personality. See the example below where we inserted their logo near the entrance of this sporting goods store.

Here are more reasons why recycled rubber flooring is a good choice for a retail store…

Durability

A big advantage of rubber flooring is its durability. Recycled rubber flooring is highly resistant to wear and tear, making it ideal for high-traffic areas. It’s made to withstand skates, skis and heavy gym equipment, so you know it’s tough. It is also able to withstand heavy foot traffic, spills, and other common occurrences in retail stores. This makes it a practical and long-lasting option for retail environments.

Safety

Another advantage of rubber flooring is the safety features. Rubber flooring is slip-resistant, providing a safe surface for customers to walk on. This is especially important in retail stores, where spills are common, and the floor can become wet and hazardous. The slip-resistant, even-when-wet, surface of rubber flooring helps to prevent accidents, making it a safer option.

Comfort

In addition to its durability and safety features, rubber flooring surfaces are also comfortable to walk on. Rubber flooring has a cushioned feel, which helps to reduce fatigue and discomfort for customers who are shopping. This makes it a more comfortable option for retail environments, where customers may spend a significant amount of time walking around as well as employees who have to stand for many hours.

Is rubber flooring considered to be eco-friendly?

Yes, rubber flooring can be considered eco-friendly.

Recycled Content: Dinoflex rubber flooring products are made from recycled commercial grade truck tires. This helps to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and makes efficient use of existing resources.

This reduces waste making it a more sustainable option.

Low VOCs: Some rubber flooring products have a high level of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are harmful pollutants that can negatively impact indoor air quality. Choosing low-VOC rubber flooring can help to improve indoor air quality and reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Conclusion: Sport Mat by Dinoflex is an excellent choice for retail stores.

As mentioned, a rubber flooring surface helps to reduce noise levels, making the retail store a more comfortable environment for customers.

When you add in all the other factors like comfort, durability, safety, cost and infinite color options, rubber flooring is in a class of its own. It stands out from all other flooring options as a great choice for retail environments.

In high-traffic areas, recycled rubber floors are durable and withstand heavy use. The natural elasticity of rubber makes it an ideal material for commercial flooring. With a Dinoflex recycled rubber flooring solution, you can rest assured that your floor will last for many years. Dinoflex recycled rubber flooring is "Made Flat Stays Flat™ Guaranteed Never To Curl" and comes with a 10-year warranty.

With its durability, safety, comfort, acoustics, and design aesthetic, Sport Mat recycled rubber flooring offers a range of benefits that make it an ideal choice for retail environments. Whether you are designing a new retail store or renovating an existing one, recycled rubber flooring is an option that is worth considering.

Other Dinoflex Rubber Flooring products are excellent choices for Retail settings also include Evolution Commercial Flooring, Next Step^® Luxury, Next Step^® WalkSoft, and Nature’s Collection.

¹ Source: Kanev, N. Study and Improvement of Acoustic Conditions in Public Spaces of Shopping Malls. Acoustics 2021, 3, 137-155. https://www.mdpi.com/2624-599X/3/1/11#B1-acoustics-03-00011

² Source: Sound and Noise in Shopping Malls Laboratory of Acoustics, College of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal https://paginas.fe.up.pt/~carvalho/nc16.pdf