In the city, the car park often decides whether a customer comes in at all. Anyone who first has to drive round the block three times will go somewhere else next time. An interior decorator in the Hamburg area actually had the perfect conditions for this: a large parking area directly in front of the shop, clearly visible from the street. That is exactly what became the problem.
The parking area lies directly in front of the shop's glass frontage – ideal for customers, but unfortunately for unauthorised parkers too.
Unauthorised parkers overnight – and no space for customers in the morning
In the evening and at night, residents and visitors to the area parked their cars on the site. That would have been bearable if they had gone again by the time the shop opened in the morning. But often they had not. The owner regularly had to have vehicles towed away before his customers could park – with phone calls, waiting, annoyance and lost mornings. He had put up signs long ago. They were ignored.
Why not a fence or a barrier arm?
A fence would have closed off the open, inviting front of the shop – exactly what a retail business does not need. A barrier arm would only have controlled one access point, but the area is open to the street along a wide front. And anyone who first has to unlock a gate in the morning will at some point be too tired to close it again in the evening.
Seven bollards along the kerb
The owner chose seven retractable bollards from the barrier bollard stainless steel V4A pneumatic 60 cm stroke series, set in a line along the boundary between the pavement and the parking area. When raised, no car can get between them, while pedestrians can still reach the forecourt and the entrance. When lowered, only the stainless steel lid lies flush in the paving, and the entire area can be driven on freely.
All together, in groups or individually
The system is controlled by remote control. The bollards can be raised and lowered all at once, in groups or individually. This way, the owner can open the whole area to customers in the morning and close everything in the evening – or leave just one section open during the day, for example for a delivery, while the rest remains closed.
The LED light ring on the bollard head makes the system clearly visible even in the dark. When lowered, only the stainless steel lid remains flush in the paving.
Compressed air instead of a motor in the ground
Our bollards work pneumatically. The bollard contains only a stainless steel cylinder; the compressor and valves stand dry in the shop. There is no motor and no electronics in the ground that rain, road salt or frost could harm. The bollards are sealed to IP69, the seals are designed for down to −35 °C, and the system needs neither a heater nor a drain. It is very low-maintenance. When raised, each bollard locks mechanically and cannot be pushed down – not even if someone cuts the air hose. The bollards are manufactured in-house at our site in Seevetal near Hamburg.
The result
Since the installation, the area has been free in the morning. No more towing services, no more arguments, no more customers turning round at the door. The parking spaces once again belong to those they are intended for – the customers.
Is your customer car park also blocked by others?
Similar cases from retail and business:
- 19 bollards at the Mercedes-Benz Center Hamburg
- Three bollards organise the access to company premises
- Impact protection and car park security with seven bollards
You can read what you can do about unauthorised parking on the page Unauthorised parking. Send us a photo of your car park via WhatsApp to +49 172 4544485 or call us on +49 40 226390411. We will tell you how many bollards you need, where they should stand and which control system fits. You will find all models and prices in the overview retractable bollards made of stainless steel V4A.
