A shop has a task that a home does not: it has to pay off. Every square metre costs rent, and every square metre is supposed to generate turnover. This makes the planning of retail spaces one of the most measurable disciplines of interior architecture — what works shows up in the figures.
At the same time, it is the discipline in which the most decisions are made on gut feeling. A beautiful piece of furniture is bought because it is beautiful. Whether it stands where customers see it is another question.
We go through the points that have made the biggest difference in our projects.
1. The first five metres decide
The area directly behind the entrance is known in the trade as the decompression zone. This is where someone arrives from the street, the eyes adjust to different lighting conditions, and attention is not yet in the shop.
Whatever stands there is not noticed. Anyone who puts their best merchandise right at the entrance gives it away.
What works instead: Leave this zone free or occupy it with an eye-catcher that provides orientation — not with merchandise. The actual presentation only begins after that.
And bear in mind the direction of gaze: in our culture, most people turn to the right when entering a room. The right-hand wall is therefore more valuable than the left.
2. Circulation: where customers go, and where they don’t
A retail space works well when people pass through as much of the floor area as possible without feeling steered. That is a design task, not a signage task.
The tools for this:
Sight lines. Something interesting at the far end of the room draws people in. Without such a focal point, most stay in the front third.
Aisle widths. Main aisles at least 120 cm, better 150 cm. Secondary aisles 90 to 100 cm. Below 90 cm the so-called butt-brush effect sets in: where customers would touch each other, the area is avoided — regardless of what is on offer there.
Rhythm. A uniform run of shelving is walked through quickly. Changes in height, material and lighting create stopping points.
Accessibility is not an add-on here but good planning: 150 cm turning circle, step-free access, reachable merchandise heights. What works for wheelchair users also works for pushchairs and full shopping bags.
3. Light — the most underestimated item
In retail, light makes more of a difference than any piece of furniture. Three aspects are decisive:
Colour rendering. The Ra value describes how natural colours appear under a light source. In a retail space it should be at least Ra 90 , and for textiles, cosmetics and anything where colour is decisive for the purchase, more like Ra 95. Below Ra 80, merchandise looks cheaper than it is — and returns rise because the product looks different at home.
Contrast instead of uniformity. A sales floor lit uniformly throughout looks like a storeroom. Accent light on the merchandise, at a ratio of around 3:1 to 5:1 to the ambient light, creates hierarchy: the eye goes where it is brighter.
Freedom from glare. Spotlights that shine directly into customers’ faces make a room unpleasant without anyone being able to say why. Beam angles and mounting heights need to be planned, not improvised.
And the economic point: in retail, lighting is a relevant operating cost factor. Well-thought-out planning reduces consumption and improves the effect at the same time — that is not a contradiction.
4. Display fixtures: flexibility matters more than perfection
The most common mistake in shopfitting is building for today’s range.
Ranges change. Seasons change. After two years, something different is on the shelf than at the opening. Shopfitting that only fits the initial state becomes a problem long before it has been written off.
What helps:
- Modular wall systems with adjustable levels instead of fixed built-in compartments
- Mobile central floor units on castors that can be rearranged for promotions
- A fixed basic structure — wall systems, lighting, floor — with movable elements within it
- Spare connections for power and data in places where something might stand later
The rule of thumb from our projects: around 70 percent fixed, 30 percent movable.
5. The areas nobody thinks of
Checkout zone. Needs storage, technology, counter space and a place where people waiting can stand without blocking the traffic. And it should overlook the room — for theft prevention and because staff need to be approachable.
Fitting rooms, where relevant. This is where the purchase is decided. Sufficiently large, good light with high colour rendering, a mirror that is not lit from above (that creates harsh shadows and makes everyone look bad), a shelf, a hook, a stool.
Storage and deliveries. Regularly planned too small. A shop whose stockroom overflows has merchandise standing in the sales area — and that costs sales space.
Staff area. Even in small shops: somewhere to take a break, a cloakroom, sanitary facilities. This is not just occupational health and safety, but in a tight labour market a factor in recruiting staff.
6. What needs to be clarified legally
Retail spaces are classed as special buildings once they exceed a certain size — the thresholds are set by the state building codes. What needs to be checked in any case:
Fire safety. Escape route lengths and widths, signage, emergency lighting, material requirements. This influences the floor plan and material choice and must be clarified early — not after the design is finished.
Accessibility. The requirements of DIN 18040-1 apply to publicly accessible areas.
Workplace regulations for the staff areas.
For a change of use: If an office becomes a shop, that is a change of use and generally requires a permit.
For listed buildings — common in Munich city-centre locations — this often affects the façade and thus the shop window and signage.
These points sound like a brake. In fact it is the other way round: those who clarify them early plan once. Those who clarify them late plan twice.
Frequently asked questions
What does planning a retail space cost?
That depends on the floor area and scope. Read more in our article on the costs of an interior architect.
Do you also build the shop?
No. We are a pure planning studio. We develop the concept, plan, tender the services and supervise the execution. The building work is done by specialist contractors with whom you conclude the contract directly.
The advantage: we have no interest in a particular shopfitter getting the job or in as much as possible being installed. Our recommendation is independent — and the tender produces comparable quotes instead of a single flat price.
How early should we get involved?
Ideally before the lease is signed. Whether a space is suitable for your concept is decided by its layout, the shop window position and the technical conditions — not by the number of square metres.
How long does the planning take?
For a smaller shop, usually three to five months from the first sketch to tender-ready plans.
Do you also work for individual locations rather than chain concepts?
Yes. The majority of our retail projects are individual locations, where the whole point is that it is not an off-the-shelf concept.