Passion Elevator

The seven – meter moving walks installed may be the shortest in the world and deliver a new shopping experience

In the Sicilian city of Catania, the client – a German supermarket branch – had to overcome 60 cm height difference from street to market level

      “Keep it short” sometimes is more than a vigorous acclamation. Regarding the latest innovation by ThyssenKrupp Elevator, it’s rather programmatic. The company has installed the shortest ever manufactured iwalks in a supermarket in Catania’s city center. Therewith, the Sicilian city now has a further attraction – the two iwalks measure only seven meters each. The store in Catania opens today.

      Why such diminutive moving walks – especially when considering that the globally expanding German supermarket chain mainly favors bigger solutions for its supermarkets that normally are quite spacious? It’s simple: The store in Catania is not just like the others. Instead of one floor, there are two, and the storefront is much smaller than in most other places. With this the differing format, the German supermarket branch in Sicily had to find an individual solution. The installation of iwalks became necessary because the supermarket’s shopping area is located some 60 cm above the street level – a difference in height that the customers have to negotiate with their shopping trolleys.

      “In Catania, we did something rather unconventional – but it seems to be the best solution considering the specific local conditions. We have installed the seven – meter iwalks in the shape of two modules that measure less than four meters. When the store opens on November 30th , we probably have delivered and fixed the world’s shortest moving walks that give customers an unprecedented shopping experience, ” said Luigi Maggioni, CEO at thyssenkrupp Elevator Italia.

      An access ramp could have been a considerable alternative – but the iwalks offer much more safety and comfort, especially when the trolleys are filled up with goods. From now on, the Catanian supermarket customers enter and leave the shop at a dynamic speed of 0.5 m/sec. Just as dynamic was the iwalks ’ installation: In less than three months after signing the contract, it had been finished.

      iwalk establishes a new benchmark in the industry by revolutionizing the way moving walks are devised, manufactured and installed. Its compact, modular design allows iwalk to fit the evolving needs of a space. Thereby, it also delivers maximum flexibility regarding the modules’ size.

      The new iwalk concept reduces installation space to a minimum without compromisin g capabilities. It offers greater comfort and mor e safety for users and helps ease planning, integration and operation for architects, general contractors and the final operator at the same time.