When a potential client first meets us at Barber Design Consultancy to discuss designing their retail outlet, by the end of the meeting and more often that not they always want to know how much it will all cost.

This depends on many factors of the entire design process, for example, what is our involvement, what is required by our design team (and in what timescale) and what elements will be covered by external agencies or other contractors (if anything)?

Here at Barber Design Consultancy we can do the whole shebang – from brand identity, in store graphic communication (i.e. your messaging and departmental signage) along with creating complete store concepts, planning applications, space planning, full CAD drawing packs (for contractors to price and build from) and project management!  So there’s no need to look elsewhere for your retail design needs but some companies do prefer to do their own PR, POS or in store graphics in-house.  We are always happy to do the bits you want us to deliver.  In principle the overall budget needs to be considered for your shopfit.

This has to be realistic and we can help guide you through this process.

In general a design fee is usually around 10-15% of the total shop design budget.  If you want to open additional sites and roll out the concept developed the cost for rolling out the project can be reduced.  You must remember that the original design is the most important part of the process and always costs more to develop.  Without this shopfitting contractors have nothing to price against and by cutting corners in the early stages you will often spend more money in the long run.

Its worth remembering that the best brands out there invest heavily in design because they know how important it is to stand out from the competition and they know that good and targeted design helps sell more products.  Not only that, a well managed design process with adequate time to produce necessary information will mean your project runs as quickly and smoothly as possible as soon as it arrives on site.

To help us accurately cost for a job, it’s always useful to cover off the following questions:

• Has the retail unit been sourced?
• Will it meet your business’s footfall requirements?
• Have you investigated whether your proposed venture will be suitable in the location (by looking at nearby retailers or asking residents or from customer surveys)?
• Have you agreed the lease?
• Do existing plans and elevations exist of the unit or building and do you possess these? If not we would have to do a survey of the site.
• Do you need to change the usage of the shop (A1, A2, etc)?
• Have you already considered how the layout would be and do you have floor plans of how you would like the shop designed?
• Do you have any inspirational images of things you really like, or some idea of how your competitors position themselves to help us kick-start the design process.
• Do you have any designs for your counter and units and know what each of them will contain?
• Do you have a logo and brand already?
• Do you have an idea on how you would like the shopfront and interior design to look (incl. colours)?
• Have you considered the new DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) that affects both staff and customers and how this may affect the retail environment?
• Do you need planning permission to change the signage or shopfront, etc?
• Do you have an agreed date when you get the keys to the premises from the landlord?
• Have you allowed enough time to get the shopfit ready?
• Do you have a set budget to spend on the design?
• Do you have a set budget to spend on the shopfitting?
• Have you thought about fire alarms, air conditioning, heater curtains, emergency lighting, electric doors, security, etc?
• Do you know what flooring, wall finishes, lighting and ceiling you will want?
• Have you involved a shopfitter to give a quote?

Alternatively, we can work with reliable and quality driven contractors we’ve used previously and organise a selection of quotes for you for the store fit out.

A good indication of or knowing the answer to these questions early on helps ensure the design process runs smoothly and to help keep costs down.

Interested in discussing your retail design requirements with Barber Design? Then get in touch!