Guildhall Shopping Centre Rebrand
The Guildhall Shopping Centre in Exeter was undergoing a major redevelopment — updating its public areas and adding eight new restaurant and bar units to create a vibrant, modern retail and hospitality space. The centre’s management team, alongside their design agency Deep and main contractor ISG, needed a signage partner they could trust to handle a large, complex job over several months — all while the centre remained fully open to the public.
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Project Overview
This was a long-term, phased project spanning 12 months, during which the shopping centre remained fully operational. The brief included:
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Managing the visual impact of ongoing construction with well-presented temporary signage
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Installing wayfinding systems and promotional signage as the new areas neared completion
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Coordinating with multiple stakeholders to carry out work during off-peak hours to minimise disruption
The project required extensive planning, flexibility, and close coordination with both Guildhall Centre Management and the main contractor.
Solutions Provided
We designed, produced and installed a full signage package, starting with temporary signage to maintain a professional look during construction:
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Over 700 sqm of printed hoarding panels
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600 sqm of window graphics to screen off works and maintain footfall
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300 sqm of printed mesh banners on scaffolding
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Additional advertising banners to promote upcoming openings
As works progressed, we moved onto a full suite of permanent signage including:
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A complete internal and external wayfinding system
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Promotional and atmospheric signage to enhance the shopper experience
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Large changeable wall graphics using tensioned systems
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A 6m x 4.5m LED-illuminated flexface lightbox, engineered for high visibility day and night
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LED poster display cabinets
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Vehicle graphics, feather flags and retail promotional prints to support the final launch
Role Details
Signs Express (Exeter) managed the entire process — from technical specification and design support, to production and full installation. We worked closely with the Centre, ISG and Deep to coordinate every stage of delivery and ensured all work was carried out by our in-house installation team — including early morning, evening, and overnight fitting to avoid disruption to traders and the public.
Challenges Faced
Working in a live retail environment was one of the biggest challenges. The centre remained open throughout, which meant signage needed to look good and be installed safely without interfering with foot traffic or business operations.
We also had to manage a lot of moving parts — coordinating with the main contractor, centre management and multiple trades on site — while still meeting tight deadlines. Flexible scheduling and experience in working out-of-hours were crucial to keeping everything on track.
Project Highlights
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Over 2,000 sqm of signage produced, printed and installed
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Seamless execution across 12 months — from initial hoarding through to high-spec permanent signage
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A striking LED-illuminated flexface lightbox as a key visual feature
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Positive feedback from client and partners on quality, timing and execution
Materials and Technologies Used
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Aluminium composite hoarding panels with full-colour vinyl wraps
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Self-adhesive vinyl window films
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Mesh PVC banners for scaffolding
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Tensioned fabric systems for easy-change wall graphics
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LED-illuminated flexface signage
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Poster display units with backlit illumination
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Durable external-grade vinyl for vehicle and trailer graphics
Client Testimonial
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“Signs Express Exeter really were the only supplier we felt fully confident of working with on this multi-faceted retail project. The appearance and quality of all forms of media — hoarding, mesh, vinyls and general signage — was, as always, excellent, with all our objectives and deadlines achieved. The quality of service and understanding of the environment being worked in by the installation team really was second to none.”
— Andrew McNeilly, Centre Manager, Guildhall Shopping Centre
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