Decisions to Make for Your Shop's Fitout

Construction & Contractors Blog

A new shop can be an exhilarating undertaking, at least part of the time. Much of the process in opening up a new retail venture involves administrative decisions that might not seem like the most exciting tasks in the world. Luckily, choosing fixtures and other items for the fitout can be among one of the more fun aspects of the process. Three choices, in particular, will affect how customers feel while in the store, and how easy it will be for your employees to maintain the premises.

Spotlights vs. Uplights

As a retail store, you'll want to spotlight specific products in general, and in some cases literally. Extra lighting aimed at a display can give customers ideas about what they might want to buy. This emphasis can be achieved either through overhead spotlights or uplights on or near the floor, both of which can be wired into place by the contractors you've hired.

Uplights would be easier for employees to change if a bulb burned out; spotlights on the upper walls or ceiling would require a stepladder, which introduces more risk to the job of changing bulbs or adjusting the lighting direction. However, uplights do create a specific feel, one that's more urban and geared toward fashion. Uplights could be great for clothing and home decor stores while spotlights could work better for home improvement and related services.

Carpet vs. Hard Flooring

Your store can have hard flooring, such as wood, laminate, or carpet. Ease of cleaning, noise dampening, and ease of replacement are all factors to consider, and speaking with the contractors handling the fitout will give you valuable information about care and dealing with eventual damage. Keep in mind that cleaning a hard floor requires frequent sweeping and occasional mopping while cleaning a carpet (in a retail setting) requires daily vacuuming, periodic steam-cleaning and occasional stain removal. Carpet may be the coziest choice for customers as it's quieter and warmer than hard flooring.

Modular vs. Non-modular Shelving

Modular shelving will let your employees rearrange displays on the wall as needed, but it can also look a bit corporate, rather than individualistic. Fixed shelving can look very nice but that does mean you're stuck with that configuration unless you have contractors tear out the shelving and reinstall it. You may actually be able to compromise here; ask the fitout contractors if they have modular shelving that is manufactured to look like permanent shelves, with as much of the modular aspect as hidden as possible.

When you have the fixtures and features chosen, the contractors will be able to tell you how long it will take to complete the fitout, from outlets to any final touches. The process of opening your new shop is almost complete.

For more information on shop fitouts, contact a professional near you.

25 February 2022