Shopfitting in London

Overview

LCC provides shopfitting and retail fit-out for brands opening and refurbishing stores in London, from flagship units on Oxford Street to stores inside Westfield Stratford City. We design the store, prepare the landlord's approval packs, build the shopfront and joinery, and hand over a store ready to trade on the agreed opening date.

Store design and construction under one contract

LCC is led by an ARB-registered architect. Our team of ARB-registered architects, who are also members of RIBA and BIID, works alongside our fully qualified construction team, with our own site management team running each site. The architects who adapt your brand guidelines to the unit remain fully involved through installation, so the store opens exactly as the brand and the landlord approved it.

Shopfitting inside shopping centres

Shopping-centre stores are built to the landlord's rules as much as the brand's. We plan for them from the first survey:

• Tenant design pack: layout, shopfront and signage drawings prepared to the centre's fit-out guide, including the shopfront zone, lease line and signage limits
• Staged approval: concept, detailed design and services drawings taken through the centre's review, with sprinkler and fire alarm changes agreed with the centre's engineers
• Site set-up: contractor inductions, permits for hot works and live fire systems, and a branded hoarding while the centre trades
• Logistics: deliveries booked through the service yard, with noisy work and installation scheduled within the centre's permitted hours, including nights
• Handover: testing, certificates and documents issued to the brand and to centre management before opening

Our shopping centre fit-out guide explains each stage, and our Licence to Alter page covers the approval pack in detail.

Our shopfitting services

• Store layout, interior design and adaptation of international brand guidelines
• Shopfronts, glazing and signage, including planning and advertisement consent on the high street
• Bespoke joinery: display units, counters, cash desks and feature walls
• Partitions, ceilings, flooring and finishes
• Lighting, power, data, air conditioning and fire alarm alterations
• Stockrooms, staff areas and back-of-house
• Strip-out of the previous fit-out, and reinstatement to the landlord's specification at lease end

Retail projects

• Pop Mart, Westfield Stratford City: full design and build of a store inside one of London's busiest shopping centres, delivered to the landlord's fit-out requirements
• Pop Mart, Oxford Street: design and build of a flagship store with custom display units and integrated lighting
• Pop Mart, Amsterdam: flagship store in the Netherlands
• Chatime, London: bubble tea stores

Stores for international brands

Many of our retail clients are international brands opening their first UK stores. Our team works in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese, so brand guidelines, landlord comments and site decisions are discussed clearly with head-office teams overseas. We adapt each brand's store standards to UK building regulations and to the landlord's requirements. See International Brand Rollouts.

Accreditations

CHAS, Constructionline and SSIP, with ARB-registered architects leading the design.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a shop fit-out take?

It depends on the size and condition of the unit, the landlord's approval stages and the amount of bespoke joinery. We set out a programme for design, approvals and construction before work begins, tied to your opening date.

Do you deal with the shopping centre's management?

Yes. We prepare the submissions, respond to the landlord's comments, attend inductions and hold the site permits on your behalf.

Do you work at night?

Yes, where the centre restricts noisy work and deliveries to out-of-hours periods.

Do I need planning permission for a new shopfront?

On the high street a new shopfront or illuminated sign often needs planning permission and advertisement consent. We prepare and submit these applications.

Can you work from our brand's own store design?

Yes. We develop brand designs into technical drawings and landlord packs, and adapt them to UK regulations.

Do you strip out stores at the end of a lease?

Yes. We carry out strip-out and reinstatement to the landlord's specification.