This 3500 sqft building was converted for a regional charity, situated in a prime location in the heart of Carlisle town centre with great visibility and retail appeal, it was largely supported by a major superstore retailer with superb footfall.
We designed the interior to get the best possible usage from the space available, the retail offer needed to be crisp, sharp, and volume lead, whilst still enhancing the brand and the Charity's local reputation for quality, the space allocation was generous and allowed for a good product mix, we prepared all project estimates and quotations accordingly.
Using the Charity's colours to define their identity at a glance, this unit was a pleasure to plan and create, the exposure generated from such a location was a great driver for this Charity, with a huge fascia signs this unit can be seen from anywhere in the town centre
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
Clear unit very easy environment to work in, no previous strip out required, the landlord had recently had the unit refurbished as we had negotiated this in the Heads of terms, so the standard was already at a good level prior to the project starting, completed in two weeks.
1000 square feet unit in the Cumbrian town of Penrith , this shop was sourced and found on behalf of this local Charity as a “boutique shop” selling quality donated items taken from the rest of their portfolio.
We designed the interior to get the best possible usage from the space available, as we had previously targeted this Town and felt that the offer needed to be crisp, sharp and volume lead whilst still enhancing the brand, and the Charity's local reputation for quality. We prepared all project estimates and quotations for this accordingly.
We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, essentially managing every single aspect of this project to its conclusion. This unit had a complete new suspended ceiling and lights, together with a full shop fit and flooring. We were fully accountable and responsible for the quality, timeline and the budget of this project.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all times
We handed the unit over on time and within budget, checking to ensure quality performance and service had been achieved, this Charity thought this shop was first class
7000 square feet "Out of Town" Furniture Shop, this shop was sourced and found on behalf of this local Charity as there destination Furniture unit, over 6000 sft of selling space, for furniture, small electrical, white goods, clothing, bric a brac This unit was ground floor only with a 600 square feet production area and 400 square foot preparation area for testing small electrical and large white goods products, with superb access to the A66/M6/A68/A69 logistically this unit is in a superb out of town location.
We designed the interior to get the best possible usage from the space available, as we had previously targeted this Town and felt that the offer needed to be crisp, volume lead, mass furniture with over 70% of the floor space allocated to furniture and white goods, whilst still enhancing the brand, and the Charity's local reputation for quality. We prepared all project estimates and quotations for this accordingly.
We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, essentially managing every single aspect of this project to its conclusion. This unit had a complete new suspended ceiling and lights, together with a full shop fit and flooring. We were fully accountable and responsible for the quality, timeline and the budget of this project.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all times.
We handed the unit over on time and within budget, checking to ensure quality performance and service had been achieved, this Charity thought this shop was first class
1300 square feet Cambridgeshire location, this shop was sourced and found on behalf of this local Charity, we arranged several viewings with the agent concerned, completed the floor plan and the costing analysis and provisional Heads of Terms in readiness, after putting together my findings the trustees approved the project. This unit had a fantastic external presence, and did bode well as the face of the Charity on the high street.
We designed the interior to get the best possible usage from the space available, as we had previously targeted this Town and felt that the offer needed to be crisp, sharp and volume lead whilst still enhancing the brand, and the Charity's local reputation for quality. We prepared all project estimates and quotations for this accordingly.
We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, essentially managing every single aspect of this project to its conclusion. This unit had a complete new suspended ceiling and lights, together with a full shop fit and flooring. We were fully accountable and responsible for the quality, timeline and the budget of this project.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all times.
We handed the unit over on time and within budget, checking to ensure quality performance and service had been achieved, this Charity thought this shop was fist class.
1200 square feet Peterborough location, the shop was previously divided up from a larger unit with no water, electricity, drainage, ceilings or shop frontage, essentially this was a breeze block shell. This building was situated in a local parade of shops under canopy and slightly set back, but with great visibility and retail appeal, it was largely supported by a major superstore retailer sharing a huge car park, and benefiting from neighbouring footfall.
We designed the shop layout and colour scheme with the Charity's logo in mind, reviewing the proportion of colour mix and applying that ratio to the shop branding and space allocation, creating the project plan. We prepared all the project estimates and quotations after onsite meetings with Shop-fitter/Contractors and Sign writers, in readiness to present to the CEO and Leadership team, advising them accordingly.
We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, essentially managing every single aspect of this project to its conclusion. This was a tricky unit as we had to manage a full new shop frontage installation, as well as new supply of water, electrics and drainage to the building. We were fully accountable and responsible for the quality, timeline and the budget of this project.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all times.
We handed the unit over on time and within budget, checking to ensure quality, performance and service had been achieved, this Charity thought this shop was amazing.
1500 square feet Bedfordshire location, this unit was sourced in a town whereby the Charity were already present but had outgrown the existing building due to size and restrictions, after several meetings with the agent I managed to complete the Heads of terms for the new premises, whilst also liaising with the previous agent and owner to ensure a smooth and effective handover of the former unit the Charity was exiting.
We consulted the previous volunteers and Management, and after several forums and discussion groups, we came up with a shop plan designed to ensure the volunteers had a place to sit, have access to a kitchen area, have space for lockers, coats, etc, all the basic principles that the previous shop did not provide, whist not detracting from a huge well presented interior. Having already been established in the town and moving to a larger format premises, this was a great statement from the Charity believing, supporting, and investing in the staff and volunteers in the form of a brand new shop.
We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, managing every single aspect of this project, the shop layout and floor plan was simple due to the huge windows overlooking the busy town centre. The Charity has hugely benefited from this relocation, and everybody concerned was thrilled and excited about the move, the opening day was a complete triumph.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all times.
We handed the unit over ahead of time, and within budget, checking to ensure quality performance and service had been achieved.
Beautiful prominent town centre location in Hertfordshire, 1800 square feet, double fronted unit that was formally two shops, no steps or floor level changes. This unit was negotiated for very swiftly, and originally opened on a temporary licence due to the keenness of the charity to trade from this location, this town fit the charity's demographic perfectly, with a great mix of income. All the costings and Heads of terms were completed ahead of time, and the charity benefited from a huge rent free period, thanks to our super negotiating.
The unit was previously two shops, which lent itself well to the mix of standard charity and furniture items, both areas worked well with the design we had implemented, placing the till point and changing room correctly allowed good security, and any customers exiting the changing room had to pass the till point to pay for their purchases, it also enabled the customer to see the whole unit, this allowed every section to be viewed and shopped, and should increase the average basket/transaction spend considerably ensuring the customer journey was fluent. I felt zone one and two could be utilised efficiently as a prime retail space, meeting the needs of the Charity shopping experience, but ensuring every single section gave a good strong return to maximise sales.
The unit was fitted with mainly slatwall panels and a clever use of box feature bays, I ensured all centre island gondolas were portable to allow for potential rise and fall of furniture donations. We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, managing every single aspect of this project.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all times.
We handed the unit over ahead of time allowing the charity to profit hugely from a rent free period, checking to ensure quality performance and service had been achieved.
950 square feet, market town in Hertfordshire, superb location on a fantastic thoroughfare. We completed the floor plan, costing analysis and Heads of Terms, after putting together my findings the trustees approved the project.
Smaller unit with 2 tier sorting and storage, ground floor retail, this unit was a longer narrow shape with super windows over looking the High street, simple white design with overlaid Charity graphics, the first shop for this particular Charity, in a town whereby the parent charity was in close proximity for maximum support and exposure.
Narrow unit, superb use of basic fixtures and fittings to showcase the Charity's blend of new and donated goods.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessment’s including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all times.
Opened ahead of time, this Charity were keen to showcase their new store, and the hard work their volunteers had put in to enable a fantastic platform on the high street, and to raise public awareness for their cause.
Historic fen land City, Prime location over two floors, 2000 square feet market square position, this unit was perfectly situated for a flagship charity shop endorsing the brand effectively. I arranged several viewings with the agent concerned, completed the floor plan, costing analysis, and the Heads of Terms, after putting together my findings the board of Trustees approved the project.
Another super unit that lent itself well to standard hanging and shelf goods, with a huge dedicated furniture area to serve this vast community.
Using the Charity's colours to define their identity at a glance, this unit was a pleasure to plan and create, the exposure generated from such a location was a great driver for this Charity, with two huge fascia signs to the front and left of the shop frontage, this unit can be seen from anywhere in the City.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessment, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
Straight forward unit, handing over on-time and within budget.
2500 square feet unit in a suburb of Nottingham, close to the parent Charity's hub, this unit had a residential flat above that was negotiated for in the Heads of Terms, and the income generated was used to offset the monthly rent via the Charity privately letting the accommodation, this allowed the Charity to have a huge presence in this area, whilst the shop income was supported via the residential rental income in its trading infancy.
A superb shop in a hard trading area of Nottingham with several other Charities present on the high street, the large volume of furniture this charity retailed ensured the turnover was amazing, and truly a flagship shop for the charity concerned.
The colour design for the charity was very straight forward, white slat walling around the shop, broken up with blue feature bays and red inserts, this charity had several temporary shops across the UK, but this unit was a 5 year lease with a fantastic solid customer base.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
The smooth handover and management was greatly appreciated by this charity, the opening day and consecutive trading proved very successful.
1400 square feet in another superb market town in East Anglia, this unit was a great shape for customer flow, it had dual access points with a parking point right outside the shop for easy donations, and furniture loading and unloading, the agent was local to the area and manages several premises in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, we have a superb relationship with him and his associates, we have leased several of their units.
White oak effect slat-wall all across the unit, with chrome uprights, blue skirting and feature bays, this Charity wanted to keep costs to a minimum but still have a fantastic shop, many other Charities operated in this town, but despite the competition and the budget opening, this charity performed extremely well in this location.
As the shop started to take shape the feature bays, till blocks, and shelving units maximised the merchandising potential of the products the charity displayed, the windows and shop fascia gave a fantastic old Victorian look and feel, two huge empowering bay windows, and an old over sized shop door right in the centre, a truly unique piece of heritage in this market town.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
The handover for this unit went very well, even with the presence of a large cellar that sometimes prove problematic in fen-land/market towns with a high water table, the shop has never had an issue in all the years of trading, proving a good initial inspection and taking the time to check all areas before signing a lease is vital.
Unit negotiated for and taken on a temporary licence, meaning the landlord still actively markets the premises, but the Charity get the benefit from the trading income in the interim, this allows the Charity to dip its toe in the water so to speak, and research whether the Charity as a retailer will be supported in the town/area, and would raise vital funds, hoping the shop becomes a steady form of income generation prior to committing to a permanent long term lease.
Painted white walls, and clever usage of the existing fixtures and fittings left behind by previous clothing retailer, this unit was set up on a very minuscule budget.
Existing fixtures and fittings dictated the shop set up in space allocation, as the charity did not want to spend a lot of funds on a temporary shop, they made the best use of the resources made available to them.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
Quick easy handover with minimum outlay.
One of the first shops negotiated for on behalf of this charity, 1600 square feet in Lincolnshire, located between a large town centre and a busy trading park, the footfall analysis for this unit was amazing, and the Landlord was keen to ensure the charity got value for money, I arranged several viewings with the agent concerned, completed the floor plan, the costing analysis and the Heads of Terms, after putting together my findings the board of Trustees approved the project.
Working together with the charity's marketing department, we utilised the charity colours whilst still maintaining a bright crisp store, ensuring the branding was a key feature.
We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, essentially managing every single aspect of this project to its conclusion. This unit had new lights together with a full shop fit and flooring, we were fully accountable and responsible for the quality, timeline, and the budget of this project.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
This unit was finished in plenty of time to be merchandised, and made ready for the grand opening.
900 square feet unit in South Yorkshire, super shaped unit located on a busy high street with several other charity shops in close proximity, this did not deter the Charity as the town demographic, footfall and analysis all pointed towards a profitable retail unit, with great Charity exposure in a prime location close to the parent organisation.
The design here was pretty standard, the boutique look was a choice of the Charity (this design sometimes restricts product volume), however in this case we managed to use every possible inch of the unit, whilst still creating the look and brief this charity required.
Once merchandised and branded this unit looked amazing, and would not have been out of place in mainstream retail, this was bold, sharp, the level of fill and product density was perfect to showcase this unit to its best possible potential.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
Clear unit very easy environment to work in, no previous strip out required, the landlord had recently had the unit refurbished as we had negotiated this in the Heads of terms, so the standard was already at a good level prior to the project starting.
This picture shows the unit in its original state prior to any works commencing, this unit was 1100 square feet in the North East of England, this unit was taken on a shorter 3 year lease with no break clause and no prospects of a staged rental increase, as the whole town was under development and the charity did not want to commit to a longer lease if the town lost vital trading partners, or found themselves on the outskirts of the main catchment area once the works had been completed.
Due to the long slender design of the unit, the shop plan had to use every available amount of wall space, the unit was too narrow for centre island gondolas, the original 600 cm banding around the whole shop was retained and used to highlight the charity's values and beliefs in the form of graphic banding.
Once merchandised this unit had a fantastic visual impact, as the symmetry of a duel window fronted unit with a central door, allowed the unit to wow its customers with a huge volume of product on both sides of the shop.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
The handover went smoothly, and the Charity were very happy with the unit upon completion.
1500 square feet in Cambridgeshire, this was a fantastic unit that was negotiated for next door to another charity shop, the Heads of Terms dictated a 5 year lease with a break clause at year 3, as an established trading charity this unit was another win in their trading portfolio.
This unit lent itself well to a 5 metre square inlet near the designed counter area, that was ideal for a high value Vintage and Retro section, this was a huge draw for the charity as the high street did not feature another unit like this, vinyl, instruments, and clothing, allowed this unit to experience a cross section of custom that a standard charity shop would not usually attract.
We maintained and managed the project budget as well as all third party contractors, managing every single aspect of this project, the shop layout and floor plan was very easy as the shop structure was predetermined by the small recess area to the rear of the unit.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
The handover went very efficiently, the shop manager was involved all the way through the project, and was instrumental in the ownership and effort that went into the opening.
Small 600 square feet shop located in a major shopping centre, although this unit paid a large service charge and was bound by shopping centre trading hours, this shop was the only charity shop at the time within the shopping centre.
This unit had several refits to keep the style modern and befitting of a large shopping centre, the shop was crisp, clean, and the light box effect sign added to the shops presence within the centre.
The use of spinning rails and slatwall allowed the charity to ensure a good volume of stock was always available, the clean white walls reflected the brand and image of the Charity's messages, in a shopping centre with other major trading partners.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
Super 1200 square feet unit in Oxfordshire, in close proximity to several other charity shops, negotiated on great lease terms, this unit had a very clean base to start from with a recently refurbished interior.
Smaller shop but a clever use of centre island units and D bars, the low ceiling and use of white slatwall gave the shop a very nice comfortable feel, the spot lighting gave the shop just what it needed to showcase the goods available.
The subtle use of the charity's colours helped the unit blend really well when it was merchandised.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
Opened ahead of time, this Charity were keen to showcase their new store and the hard work their staff and volunteers had put in to this shop.
1600 square feet shop, negotiated for with a national agent, originally under offer to another retailer, this thorough follow up and constant contact with agents allowed me to be in a position to proceed when the other retailer faltered, the Heads of terms were already written several weeks prior in case the independent retailer was not in a position to complete the lease, the charity capitalised on a fantastically situated unit in a very affluent area.
We designed the interior to get the best possible usage from the space available, the retail offer needed to be crisp, sharp, and volume lead, whilst still enhancing the brand and the Charity's local reputation for quality, the space allocation was generous and allowed for a good product mix, we prepared all project estimates and quotations accordingly.
As the shop design featured a low ceiling, the feature bay top boxes were slimmer to allow for merchandising, the uniformity of wooden hangers and wooden slatwall ensured the brand and image were not lost in the detail.
We prepared and monitored all risk assessments including fire risk assessments, and general risk assessments, we reviewed these on a daily basis and ensured the site conformed to full health and safety requirements at all time.
Handed over ahead of time and very well received within the local community.
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