Ede & Ravenscroft, renowned supplier of ceremonial robes, required a storage solution that met a number of specific criteria: gowns, mortarboards, gloves and sashes had to be properly protected from dust, light and mites for long periods of time between use, yet needed to be quickly and easily accessible by staff during intensely busy periods. The solution also needed to be highly space efficient to fit the largest number of outfits into the smallest floor area possible.

Ede & Ravenscroft has supplied coronation robes to the British Royal Family from King William in 1689 to Queen Elizabeth ll. Today, the firm is best known for its famous mortarboards and gowns, hired for graduation ceremonies the length and breadth of the UK. Over the past few years, the timing of graduation ceremonies has been compressed into just two or three weeks in July.

Ede & Ravenscroft has had to respond to this change by stocking larger quantities of gowns to meet higher demand over a shorter space of time. This meant the company had to re-evaluate its storage needs and acquire new facilities close to its existing units in Cambridgeshire.

The solution
Bruynzeel’s mobile shelving was selected as it provided the most efficient and cost effective use of floor space. A characteristic of the 4m high mobile shelving system is its wide “floating” aisle, which at 3.6m enables Ede and Ravenscroft to have multi-person access to the storage, giving a more efficient workflow during busy periods. The high quality finish of the units’ seals also prevents dust and light causing damage to the stock, while the mobile storage solution allows the maximum number of garments to be stored in the smallest area possible.

 “The interchangeable design is light and easy to operate but robust enough to hold all of our stock. We can fit an enormous number of outfits into the shelving and that makes the system very cost effective.”

James Middleton – Director at Ede and Ravenscroft – Ede and Ravenscroft