Putting Down Roots

Category 5, a large-format PSP based in Burlington, Canada, knows how vital it is to stay up to date with the latest innovations and trends in the retail sector. Today’s clients “all want something new and different when it comes to stocks, finishes, and applications – they want to stand out amongst other retailers,” says Jacquie Stowe, account manager. Category 5 helps their customers turn heads with applications ranging from 3D fixtures and signage to billboards, bus shelters, , wall murals, and more.

Roots Canada, an apparel company out of Toronto, reached out to Category 5 with a vision: a retail display that both announced the opening of a new Roots location and celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday. The shop opted for a “bigger is better” approach, crafting a larger-than-life, 2496-square-foot wall graphic centering around a giant Roots-brand hooded sweatshirt with a custom-cut hood jutting out of the top. The print was imaged onto 3M Controltac Graphic Film 3500C with the shop’s EFI Vutek GS5000R printer, paying special attention to the hood pop-out to ensure everything lined up correctly while remaining stable. Category 5 complemented the graphic with smaller window signage printed onto Coroplast. A team of three installed the display over the course of two nights.

While Category 5 has been in the business for years, Stowe notes that client demand in the sector has grown steadily over the years, with retail now accounting for about 50 percent of the shop’s business. And while demand grows, the time between project conception and installation shrinks. “Turnaround times are faster these days than they used to be,” Stowe adds. Customers want eye-catching P-O-P displays, and they want them now. Category 5’s solution? Seven in-house presses ready to churn out graphics at a moment’s notice.