Sectors > Design Services
Managing crowds at The Grasmere Gingerbread® Shop
When we say that no job is too big or too small for MARL to undertake, we mean it. We worked with a small shop to create a hugely helpful crowd control system during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The brief
The Grasmere Gingerbread® Shop is a traditional, quaint historic Lakeland building that has a global reputation for making and selling traditional gingerbread since 1854.
When Covid-19 struck, the company needed a way to manage customers entering and exiting the shop in line with government restrictions while continuing to operate.
MARL was approached to quickly develop a crowd control lighting system that was easy for both the public and the shop's staff members to understand.
The project
Using our Bulkhead LED Light, MARL created a simple but effective semi-bespoke solution.
The waterproof Bulkhead displayed a red light at the shop’s exterior when it was at capacity, and a green one when it was safe for new customers to enter. We were conscious of the building's heritage, ensuring that the light could be removed when needed without damage to the shop front. Wires went from behind the counter to the shop exterior, which could easily be controlled by the staff using a simple switch.
MARL quickly responded to the needs of this project, delivering the two lighting units and switching device in less than a working week.
The result
The installation of the Bulkhead light went down well with our client and their customers alike.
The shop's manager reported that the lights had helped hugely with managing crowds, allowing them to continue operating during the pandemic while keeping their customers reassured.
We received a thank you from the shop for our quick turnaround. And some Gingerbread…