Retail buildings
The term ‘retail’ refers to the sale of goods to the public for use or consumption rather than for resale. This is as opposed to wholesale, which refers to the selling of goods in larger quantities to be sold on by retailers at a profit.
Retail buildings are sometimes very broadly described as ‘shops’, however, they can take a wide range of generic forms:
- Town centre shops.
- Supermarkets and superstores.
- Retail warehouses and retail parks.
- Mixed use buildings, typically with retail spaces on the ground floor. These may be purpose built, or may be converted housing.
For the purposes of fire safety, the approved documents to the building regulations define shops and commercial purpose groups as: 'Shops or premises used for a retail trade or business (including the sale to members of the public of food or drink for immediate consumption and retail by auction, self-selection and over-the-counter wholesale trading, the business of lending books or periodicals for gain and the business of a barber or hairdresser and the rental of storage space to the public) and premises to which the public is invited to deliver or collect goods in connection with their hire repair or other treatment, or (except in the case of repair of motor vehicles) where they themselves may carry out such repairs or other treatments.'
For planning permission purposes, use class A1 ‘Shops’ is defined as: Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, pet shops, sandwich bars, showrooms, domestic hire shops, dry cleaners, funeral directors and internet cafes.
Retail warehouses are large, single-level stores, typically with a minimum of 1000 square metres gross retail floorspace and normally selling goods for home improvement or gardening, furniture, electrical goods, carpets and so on. They are most commonly found in the fringe of towns or in out of town locations. See Retail warehouse for more information.
According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), for valuation purposes, ‘retail premises are divided into a number of zones each of a depth of 6.1 metres - or 20 feet. Zone A closest to the window is most valuable with the value decreasing with distance from the frontage: Zone B is the next 6.1 metres, then Zone C until the entire depth of the retail area is allocated to a zone - anything after Zone C is usually defined as the remainder.’ Ref https://www.rics.org/uk/knowledge/glossary/zoning/. The result is an adjusted 'ITZA' area that is less than the actual area to reflect the diminishing value of space the further back in the shop you go Ref http://www.propertymanagementguide.co.uk/resources/rent/zoning-itza-zone-a-rate-for-retail-property-rents
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- BEST Products showrooms.
- BREEAM and retail.
- BREEAM Retail prize 2016.
- High street (planning and policy).
- Kiosk.
- Main town centre uses.
- McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford.
- Multi-channel retailing.
- Rental method of rating valuation.
- Retail designers.
- Retail warehouse.
- Sample retail unit lease.
- Shops and commercial premises definition.
- Supermarket security and COVID-19.
- The impact of lighting in retail design.
- Types of building.
- Use class.
- What the new retail market will mean for the water sector.
Featured articles and news
Heat pump announcements, what homeowners need to know
An 'ultimate guide to heat pumps' from a heating company.
Construction contract awards reach £7.1bn in February
Their highest level in seven months.
The journey to sustainability in heritage
Research is the key to better understanding.
Heritage approaches to adaptation, mitigation and loss.
Bridging the gap between policy, finance and installation.
Development on brownfield land
Definition, background, policy and the latest consultation.
With the Design Framework for Building Services.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Pertinent technical issues, measures and the roles involved.
ECA joins HSE campaign to support mental health
Working Minds’ five simple steps based on risk assessment.
Mental health in the construction industry
Mental health issues in brief with related articles.
Transitional arrangements, Building Control and the BSR.
For pre-October buildings with substantial progress by April.
How to write an inspection and test plan
ITPs for quality control and assurance particular elements.
Why quality counts in domestic ventilation systems
From products, to systems to the installation.
Empowering the Future with CIOB Academy
Lifelong learning, upscaling, and reskilling for the built environment.
Winners of the 2024 ASBP Awards
Project, Product and Initiative according to the 6 pillars.