When store manager, Paula Sciullo made an “always open” door policy to invite in customers along Pittsburgh’s famous Strip District, she knew she also needed way to keep occupants comfortable.
Whether it’s a wintery 20°F or a steamy summer day, the front doors are always propped open at Fortunes Coffee Roastery in Pittsburgh’s famous Strip District. One of the first policy changes Store Manager Paula Sciullo made after her family bought the 20-year-old independent coffee retailer was an “always open” door policy, a welcoming gesture to the many passersby in the mile-long wholesale food area near downtown Pittsburgh that’s dotted with specialty shopping and nightlife establishments.
Since patrons are an even mix of impulse and destination shoppers, the sales results were immediate. Foot traffic into the 1,200-square-foot store increased dramatically by 20 to 30 percent, paralleled by similar sales increases, according to Sciullo. “Just about everyone that comes through the door buys something, so any strategy such as an open door can reap benefits,” said Sciullo.
While perpetually open doors are seemingly a huge energy loser on cold or hot days, a newly installed Zephyr air curtain manufactured by Berner International, New Castle, Pa., above the doorway minimizes energy losses and maintains indoor air comfort within 3°F to 5°F of indoor set-point temperatures for employees and patrons near the point-of-purchase entrance area.
Air curtains aren’t a new innovation. In fact, they’ve been used for decades in industrial applications. However, retail stores ranging from convenience stores and apparel outlets to large drug stores and big box merchants are now using air curtains to reduce energy losses at both front and back doors, as well as to increase indoor air comfort. Retailers are also avoiding the high cost of constructing vestibules by substituting air curtain/automatic door combinations, which studies have shown are far more efficient.
See how the Zephyr air curtain keeps Fortunes Coffee Roastery comfortable with the doors wide open. Read the full story in the PDF below.
