When customers visit a shopping center, they are greeted with a variety of signs that are vying for their attention. Strip malls, outlet malls, and other outdoor shopping centers need signs to draw visitors in, to direct them, and to identify stores and food service establishments. Here are 3 types of exterior signs that can enhance a shopping center and attract customers.
1. Pylon Signs
Pylon signs, also known as pole signs, are often the first sign people see when they approach a shopping sign. These freestanding signs may be illuminated by LED lighting, which is bright, clear, and really drives the message home. They frequently contain signage for each store in the complex (often sign cabinets) and may feature digital message boards. Pylons are often situated by the side of a busy highway so that people will notice them and stop. Historically, the word pylon was used to describe the structures that served as entrances to Ancient Egyptian temples. You should aim to make your shopping center sign just as impressive while providing the information visitors need to know.
2. Directional Signs
Directional or wayfinding signs help visitors to navigate an area. They may show potential customers which way to go for parking or where to walk for a particular store. Though we’re discussing exterior shopping center signage in this post, directional signs are seen indoors as well as outdoors. Indoor directional signs may be made of aluminum or plastic. However, most outdoor directional signs are aluminum since plastic just isn’t as weather-resistant, whereas aluminum can withstand the elements without rusting.
3. Storefront Signs
While pylon signs and directional signs are freestanding, a storefront sign is the one that’s mounted to a store’s entrance. Common storefront signs include channel letters, dimensional letters, sign cabinets, and even awnings.
- Channel letters: Channel letter signs are illuminated signs that are known for being bold. They feature individual light-up letters. The letters can be lit with various methods that change their appearance. The most common is front lit, but channel letters can also be lit from the back (known as reverse lit or halo lit channel letters)—or from both sides. They can also have open faces that expose the lighting element, which is more common with neon than LED, although LED is more energy-efficient.
- Dimensional letters: Dimensional letters are bold and sophisticated. These individual letters aren’t illuminated, which makes them perfect for areas where illumination is prohibited—or just for businesses that want to give off an impression that’s a little more classic and a little less flashy.
- Sign Cabinets: Sign cabinets (or cabinet signs or box signs) are illuminated, but unlike channel letters, they have a uniform body. Because of this, they give you more surface area to display detailed graphics. Where regulations limit the size of your sign and calculate this based on surface area, channel letters are a better option.
- Awnings: Awnings can also be printed with your business’s name or slogan and function as storefront signs. Vinyl and aluminum are your best bet for materials with outdoor durability.
Make sure your shopping center signage creates a great experience for customers
There are plenty of other signs any shopping center needs. For individual store owners, other smaller details such as window decals may be necessary in addition to the storefront sign—not to mention all the interior signage that further guides patrons once they enter.
To learn more about different types of storefront signs, you can check out our interactive Signage Infographic.
