The company’s Marketing Manager, Lucy Wright and Procurement Manager, Ruth Driver were delighted to attend the inaugural Women in Signs and Graphics event sponsored by Project Display in September.
Bringing together women from within the industry, the event offered Lucy and Ruth the chance to enjoy networking with other women who work within signage and graphics, sharing experiences and highlighting unique challenges faced within the sector.
A superb event organised by Izabella Ivanovici and Sarah Fenna. And a huge thank you to sponsor Project Displays for hosting the event. Our team are looking forward to the next one already!
Fix the Roof While the Sun is Shining: Why Now is the Time to Review Your Signage!
“Don’t wait for the storm to patch the roof.”
It’s a familiar saying—and one that Estate and Facilities Managers should take seriously when it comes to signage.
As summer sets in, the warmer, drier months provide the ideal window to review, repair, and reinforce signage across your estate—before shorter days and unpredictable weather make inspections difficult and failures more likely.
UK Weather is Becoming More Extreme
According to the Met Office, 2023 saw a sharp rise in extreme weather events, including record-breaking wind and rainfall. These conditions aren’t seasonal anomalies—they’re part of a growing trend. For estate signage, this means increased exposure to:
- High winds and storm damage
- Water ingress in electrical components
- Failing fixings or corrosion
- Illumination faults and safety hazards
The longer you leave it, the riskier—and more expensive—it becomes.
When a Sign Fails, So Can Brand Perception
Your signage is often the first physical representation of your brand. If it’s faded, unlit, or damaged, it reflects poorly on the business.
A 2023 YouGov survey found:
- 68% of consumers associate poor signage with a lack of professionalism
- 54% are less likely to engage with a business with damaged or unlit signs
- 70% of retail customers say exterior signage impacts their first impression
This affects footfall, customer trust, and employee pride—all of which are vital for any brand.
Why Summer is the Best Time for Signage Maintenance
Good weather, lighter evenings, and easier site access make summer the perfect season for estate-wide signage checks. Proactive maintenance now allows for:
✅ Safer inspections and installations
✅ Quicker turnaround on parts and fabrication
✅ Planned maintenance schedules—not reactive callouts
✅ Reduced risk of emergency failure in winter
✅ Fully illuminated and compliant brand presentation
Who Needs to Act?
If you’re responsible for property or brand integrity in any capacity—this message is for you:
- Estate Managers – Are your sites compliant and structurally safe?
- Facilities Teams – Are your signs weather-ready and illuminated?
- Brand Managers – Are your assets reflecting your brand consistently?
- Health & Safety Leads – Are your signs certified to withstand wind loading and exposure?
Partner with Experts in Estate Signage
At Astley, we support national brands with comprehensive signage audits, proactive maintenance programmes, and full rebranding rollouts. Our BS EN 1090 certification means we can assess and manufacture structural signage safely and in full compliance with legislation—ideal for larger format signs and wind-exposed areas.
Don’t leave it to chance. Fix the roof while the sun is shining.
Industry & Signage Trends for 2025
The signage industry is constantly developing. Each year transcends the last as technologies evolve and capabilities grow. In 2025, we are seeing advancements that are bringing in fresh opportunities and transforming the way we work.
As a signage company, staying aligned with not only industry trends but also to developments in broader sectors is essential to meeting client needs and staying competitive in an incredibly dynamic market.
With that in mind, we have explored the 2025 trends that are defining some of the major sectors we work within – including retail and PFS – while also delving into new technologies and of course, sustainability.
So, buckle up and join us as we explore the exciting opportunities that 2025 has in store…
Retail: Bigger Stores & Brand Partnerships
Flagship Stores
Recently, retail has seen an increasing shift towards larger flagship stores and transforming these spaces into destination stops rather than mere points of transaction.
Many leading retail giants are focusing on the rollout of fewer, larger, more tech-driven stores in prime locations. These stores are offering improved omni-channel and immersive brand experiences to create experiential shopping experiences. From interactive displays to digital installations and luxury store design, these flagship stores are becoming the pinnacle of customer experience.
Recent data has shown that UK retail parks have become the most effective when it comes to footfall, experiencing a notable 7.3% increase in visitor numbers during September 2024. – Aoife Morgan, Retail Gazette
Retailers are therefore making the decision to follow their customers and open larger flagship concept stores in these one-stop retail park locations.
Recently, there has been an increasing shift towards larger flagship stores for retail brands in prime locations.
Concessions
Similarly, not only are these stores expanding their size and technological capabilities, but they are also expanding in terms of their concession spaces. Retailers are introducing new and improved spaces, including high-end cafés and bigger in-store brand collaborations. These store-in-store offerings are becoming more experiential, more creative, are hugely beneficial for customer engagement and increased footfall.
No longer are concessions just small in-store pop-ups, but they are now transforming into something bigger. The opportunities for concessions are endless as the distinction between sectors begin to blur and our one-stop shops are now capable of offering anything from DIY and clothing to food and coffee.
So, what does this mean for us?
These retail developments offer new unique projects for signmakers. We’re starting to see stores in a way that we’ve never seen them before, and it brings with it new creative opportunity.
We’re talking bigger signage, immersive branded assets, digital signage, and new concession branding. As retail spaces become more experiential, the demand for bespoke and high-quality signage is growing. This allows us to showcase our creativity and capability, and positions signmakers as essential partners in these new retail ventures.
PFS: The Forecourts of the Future
Service stations continue to grow bigger and better, as FMCG and EV offerings grow even further. No longer are roadside retailers merely ‘convenient’ – they are becoming the next destination stop.
In the past few years, new energy solutions at these service stations have hugely progressed and still continue to do so. But what does 2025 hold for new energy services?
EV Signage
It’s important to ensure that forecourts are marked as clearly as possible for drivers, especially when their services are extremely necessary – for EV drivers, this is a current dilemma.
A key topic of discussion in the world of EV revolves around their signage – or lack thereof.
Surprisingly, out of 73,699 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, only 25 of these on motorways are marked with official road signs. This has led to some of the UK’s biggest EV operators to lobby for official EV signs to be placed on major roads and motorways, in order to put EV drivers at ease.
While there are still restrictions surrounding the majority of potential EV signage, there are some plans to add EV symbols to roadside facilities by April 2025. As this demand grows, our industry will be ready to play a part in shaping this vital infrastructure and helping to reduce anxiety for EV users through essential signage.
Out of 73,699 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, only 25 of these on motorways are marked with official road signs. – Nicholas Hellen, The Times
Hydrogen Fuel
One of the latest developments in our forecourts of the future is the introduction of hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen fuel is emerging as a key player in the transition to sustainable energy, complementing EV in the push toward net zero emissions. While still in its early stages, the development of hydrogen infrastructure is gradually gaining momentum.
The UK’s hydrogen strategy outlines ambitions to produce 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen by 2030, half of which is intended for transport and heating. Several hydrogen refuelling stations are already operational, and more are in the pipeline – in December 2023, there were 16 stations across the country with a further 16 projects set to open in Britain.
It’s important to keep hydrogen in the back of our minds as it continues to grow and develop, requiring new branded infrastructure that is accessible, safe, and visually recognisable.
As the hydrogen economy grows, the demand for innovative, sustainable, and technologically advanced signage solutions will only increase, cementing the signage industry’s importance in this transition.
Hydrogen fuel is emerging as a key player in the transition to sustainable energy, complementing EV in the push toward net zero emissions.
AR & VR: Streamlining the Prototyping Process
Similar to the recent surge of AI, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are also emerging as hugely powerful tools in the signage industry. Not only do they enhance the client experience, but they also facilitate the signage production journey as a whole.
Visualisation and design are some of the most critical parts of the signage process. With AR and VR, clients are now able to experience their signage designs in a fully immersive, 3D environment even before they are produced and installed.
VR: Using VR, you can emulate large spaces i.e. retail parks, to help design and develop wayfinding systems, for example. By placing yourself in the totally virtual environment, you can test various signage placements and designs, ensuring that the wayfinding system is effective before installation.
AR: While VR immerses users in a completely virtual environment, AR allows clients to see their virtual signs in the real world. By combining digital items and real-world backgrounds, you can visualise what your sign looks in their actual, physical locations.
Visualisation and design are some of the most critical parts of the signage process.
While VR and AR are still in their infancy within the signage industry, it is an exciting development in terms of the signage design process. The use of these tools can help clients ‘visualise’ a product, streamline the prototyping process and ease the transition from design to manufacture.
Is VR the future of signage prototyping? Well, we look forward to finding out.
With AR and VR, clients are now able to experience their signage designs in a fully immersive, 3D environment.
Sustainability
Sustainability is not just a trend, but rather the new norm that is defining the direction of the industry. And it’s not just our industry, either. From retail to hospitality, every sector is being driven with one goal in mind – sustainability.
The use of more eco-friendly substrates and recyclable material is steadily on the rise. The hospitality industry, for example, are integrating more eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient systems into their spaces. We are expected to see an increase in reclaimed wood, natural stone, green walls, recycled fixtures, enhancing both the aesthetics and the sustainability of different venues.
Technology is also improving as a tool for sustainability, with AI now helping to contribute to the progress of sustainable efforts. For example, AI-powered systems are capable of optimising energy usage and reducing waste during the production process – supporting environmental initiatives as well as cost-saving goals.
In 2025, it’ll be interesting to see how new technologies will be used to facilitate the environmental impact of business’ operations in line with their net zero objectives.
Sustainability is not just a trend, but rather the new norm that is defining the direction of the industry.
In summary…
As an industry, we are continuously presented with new developments and exciting progressions – and 2025 is no different.
As always, technology remains front and centre as the leading contributor to industry progress in not only production, but also with sustainable initiatives. AI and VR are both key players in the industry and continue to show us just what we are capable of with the right tools.
From new retail flagships to new energy-efficient fuel solutions, there are so many impressive new developments in the sectors that we work in. That’s the beauty of signage – you aren’t pigeon-holed to one industry. As signmakers, we get to experience the endless innovations that each sector has to offer, and play a part in watching these developments come to life.
The start of the year invites us into 2025 with exciting developments and novel opportunities, and we are eager to embrace the journey ahead.
Care to join us?
We received an EcoVadis medal!
Just as we were one of the first signmakers to launch our Net Zero Roadmap, we are now one of the first in our industry to achieve their EcoVadis Bronze medal!
We’re placed in the top 35% globally for all those assessed for this standard
The EcoVadis platform helps businesses to manage ESG risk and compliance, meet sustainability goals, and drive impact through sustainability performance improvement of the company and its supply chain.
This accreditation offers additional reassurance to our clients, knowing that they are working with the most sustainable partner in the sector.
We are so pleased to have received this stamp of sustainability, especially as we continue to work towards our goal of achieving Net Zero by 2040.
Well done #TeamAstley!
We have been thrilled to be working at a site local to our Gateshead head office, alongside Faulkner Browns and Bowmer and Kirkland.
Sunderland’s new £42m City Hall development looks superb with its brand new fascia lettering and internal branded graphics.
We assisted the project architects Faulkner Browns, with the design development and implementation of these highly bespoke wayfinding solutions and interior ambient graphics that create an extremely high-end finish for the mix of office, leisure and residential residents.
As we have an in-house studio with designers highly experienced in brand implementation and wayfinding, we offered Faulkner Browns the opportunity to transfer their ideas and conceptual work into physical assets, alongside supporting them with manufacture and installation.
This is such an impressive building and a really superb example about how we can support architects and developers with the physical translation of their branding projects.
Four awards at the 2024 Sign & Wrap Awards!
We are so proud to have been awarded 4 awards at the 2024 Sign & Wrap Awards!
- Gold for Ad Gefrin in Architectural
- Gold for Leonardo Hotels in Rollout
- Best in Show across 7 signage categories
- Highly Commended for Sign Company of the Year
The Architectural award, as well as the Best in Show award, celebrated our work on the Ad Gefrin Distillery project which wowed the judges with its use of natural materials and its complex craftsmanship. This project included the production of a variety of interior, exterior, and wayfinding signage products that complimented the architecture and reflected the history of the venue.
The judges loved the way that we shared all of the processes of the project, including the stages that went into the production of the Ad Gefrin roundel. From CNC routing to copper spraying, this focal piece went through several processes to make it into the impressive emblem that it is now.
Our work on the rebrand of Jury’s Inn Hotels to Leonardo Hotels was also celebrated, earning a gold award in the rollout category. This extensive programme demonstrated our high-level knowledge of planning and logistical support, having overseen the transformation of 32 hotels across the UK.
The judges noted our attention to detail and the way they had gone above and beyond to deliver the project successfully – even producing a bespoke sample wall to show the client how the signs would look when complete.
Well done
A huge ‘well done’ to all the other winners and finalists and a huge thank you to the organisers at Sign & Wrap Awards for a fantastic night.
Most importantly, a huge thank you to #teamastley for all of their hard work and talent – it is thoroughly deserved and we are so proud!
We were so proud to recently attend The Sign Awards! Having been the first ever Sign Awards event, it was so rewarding to see the industry get together once again to celebrate their craft, having a hiatus because of COVID.
A huge congratulations to everyone in their categories for their fantastic work, as well as to everyone at The Sign Awards for putting on such a great night! We were so inspired by all the incredible work done by the people of the industry.
Astley were thrilled to receive awards in both the Roll-out Programme of the Year and Signage Company of the Year. From our work on JET to our other key accounts, our CSR focuses to our bespoke creative production, this is a great recognition of our team’s efforts.
We couldn’t be prouder of our wonderful team here at Astley as they get recognised for all their hard work!
They only went and won!
We had a fantastic night at the Make UK awards last night with both of our shortlisted apprentices coming away with awards in their respective categories!
A huge thank you to everyone at Make UK for putting on such a great event and we couldn’t be prouder of the lads representing our company!
We are proud to say we are now one of the first signmakers to be publishing a net zero roadmap with a commitment to achieving net zero by 2040.
Since embarking on our net zero journey in 2022, we have been committed to taking considerable steps towards reducing our carbon footprint.
With short term, medium and a long-term objectives, astley has developed a robust plan to help address climate change and drive meaningful actions that will contribute to the end goal of becoming net zero.
Just as we became the first UK signmaker to become a zero-waste-to-landfill partner, we believe we are also leading the way in our approach to becoming net zero and ultimately, improving the world that we inhabit.
The FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) sector is one of the largest in the UK economy. With its rapid product turnover and intense competition, the industry demands consistent innovative solutions to capture ever-changing consumer preferences. The post-Covid landscape has changed the way in which we buy and consume goods, providing both challenges and opportunities for grocery retail.
Signage plays a huge part in guiding consumers through this landscape. Not only does it direct you through the store, but signage also helps to create an immersive branded environment and experience.
At Astley, we have the pleasure of working with some huge grocery retailers, including Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Co-op. Whether it’s a brand new development or a rebrand of an existing site, we have assisted with the planning and visualisation of store environments, offering years of expertise in brand implementation.
So, what trends have we seen in 2023?
Concessions
With the rise in online retail and click-and-collect shopping, it has become imperative for grocers to focus on ways to bring customers back into the physical store. Supermarket concessions have proved to be a good method for repurposing large supermarket sites, as they not only help to boost store footfall and profitability for the main grocer but also increase footfall for the concession brand.
The most popular concession over the past few years has been food and drink, with the biggest grocers establishing partnerships with names such as Costa Coffee, Starbucks, Pret A Manger and more. Introducing well-known and loved brands encourages shoppers into the store as they are familiar with the product and can purchase it in a convenient setting.
Most recently, a market that is now popping up in retailers is homeware and DIY, with Tesco having partnered up with Homebase and Asda with B&Q. By integrating well-known homeware and DIY brands, these supermarkets enhance their appeal as lifestyle hubs rather than just places to buy groceries.
A partnership we are incredibly proud of is with Sainsbury’s, who we have been supporting for over 20 years now with their brand graphics, managing rebrand and refresh programmes and seasonal campaign work across their UK sites. Since their acquisition of Argos back in 2016, Astley has had the pleasure of completing the works for not only their Sainsbury’s branding but also for their Argos concessions.
Experiential environments
The introduction of spaces such as concessions has transformed the everyday mundanity of grocery shopping and pushed the concept of experiential environments. By creating a community-centric space in which customers can browse, linger and even dine, this turns the somewhat chore of shopping into that of an experience.
A great example of a project we recently worked on that embraced this experiential approach, is the new Food Hub concept in Asda stores. We had the pleasure of installing the signage for this new concession space, in which customers can now purchase pizza, coffee, and other grab-and-go products. By also implementing fast-food style touch screen tablets, this makes for not only a quick and efficient service but also provides a new and exciting way to browse and buy in-store.
Sustainability
A huge buzzword in any industry, sustainability is just as prevalent in the FMCG sector. According to research, one in five shoppers say they have acquired more sustainable habits since the pandemic began. With this increased demand for socially responsible products and practices, recent FMCG initiatives have put a critical focus on sustainable labelling, sustainable sourcing, and even renewable energy.
Astley was beyond proud to embrace renewable energy as a result of the onboarding of a fantastic new client – Central England Co-op UK. Earlier this year, we were so excited to have installed the first solar-powered totem of Central Co-op’s estate in Streethay. Solar-powered totems represent not only a forward-thinking approach to sustainability, but also offer a practical and cost-efficient solution that remains visually appealing.
The totem, with its subtle and sleek design, allowed for the solar panels to blend seamlessly into the structure – so much so, you can hardly tell it’s solar-powered!
And so…
The post-covid landscape has brought with it changes in consumer preferences and market trends, changing what people buy to how they buy it and where from. With the rise of e-commerce especially, this has called for industries like the FMCG sector to react and adapt to these changes.
From concessions and experiential environments to the topic of sustainability, signage has an important role in all of these. By enticing people into store, immersing them into an environment, and telling a visual story about a brand, signage has proven to be pivotal in responding to ever-changing trends. Now, we look forward to seeing what 2024 will bring..