Retail fit-outs

What to consider

Programme

Fit-out periods are short and opening dates rarely move. Confirm the material and its availability before drawings are issued for approval, and allow time for any cutting by your fabricator. A quick decision on a material in stock is often better than waiting for a lot that is not.

Mall access

Malls usually restrict deliveries to set hours, through service corridors and goods lifts, often with permits. There is rarely storage space. Plan smaller, scheduled drops sized to what can be installed in a shift.

Display requirements

Stone plinths, shelves and cash wraps are heavy and their edges are handled constantly. Point loads from heavy displays on a stone floor, and cantilevered stone shelves, need to be designed by the fit-out contractor or an engineer.

Entrance and mall floor

The shop entrance meets the mall’s own floor. The new finish has to sit at the right level, take trolley and pushchair traffic, and match the landlord’s threshold detail.

Lighting

Retail spotlights make polished stone sparkle but also show every scratch and joint step. Agree the finish with the lighting designer, especially on dark floors.

Limitations and when to get technical advice

Mall landlords often have technical requirements for floor finishes, slip, fire and weight on the floor slab; these must be confirmed by your fit-out consultant, and we hold no test documents to support them. Cantilevered shelves, suspended stone elements and heavy plinths need design by the contractor or an engineer. Rollouts across several branches over months or years cannot rely on identical stone, because lots change. Dark Emperador marble on a busy shop floor will scratch and dull in walking lines. Black Marquina’s family is unconfirmed. Send such cases for technical review.

Finish

Finishes are not recorded in our catalogue and are confirmed in your quotation. Polished floors suit premium displays but show scratches from sand and trolley wheels and can be slippery at a wet entrance. Honed finishes hide wear and glare better. Display plinths and counters are touched, not walked on, so the choice is mostly visual; keep the finish consistent across branches by recording it in the brand specification. See our finishes guide.

Thickness

Tiles are mostly 20 mm (some 60 × 30 cm in 30 mm), slabs 20 or 30 mm, and porcelain slabs 15 mm. Floor thickness must work with the mall’s finished floor level at the entrance. For plinths and counters, thinner porcelain reduces weight on joinery, while 30 mm stone gives a solid edge. Your fit-out contractor confirms thickness for each element.

What to measure

Send the shop layout if you have it. Otherwise list each stone element with its size in metres, and tell us the handover and opening dates so we can tell you whether the timing is realistic for the material.

• Shop floor area (m²)
• Display plinths: number and size, length × width × height (m)
• Cash counter length (lm)
• Wall areas in stone (m²)
• Entrance width at the mall threshold (m)
• Handover and opening dates

Give floor and wall areas in square metres (m²), and plinths, counters and shelves as pieces with their sizes. For brand rollouts, give quantities per store and the number of stores. Waste allowances for floors and the slab count for cut pieces are confirmed with your installer and fabricator.

What we supply

We supply material. Cutting plinths and counters, installation and protection are by your fit-out contractor and fabricator. If you need items cut to size, list them and we will confirm whether it can be arranged before quoting. We cannot take on landlord approvals or permits.

Site conditions to tell us

• Landlord delivery hours, permits and service routes.
• Goods lift size and the longest piece it can take.
• Storage space in or near the unit, if any.
• Finished floor level of the mall at the entrance.
• Other trades working at the same time in a small unit.
• Opening date and any penalty for delay in the lease.

Natural variation

In a single store, mixing tiles from several crates spreads variation evenly. For brands with several stores, natural stone from different lots will differ over time, so decide whether that is acceptable or specify a more consistent material such as porcelain. See natural variation.

Technical documents

If your designer, consultant or client needs technical documents such as test reports, data sheets or certificates, list them in your request and we will tell you what can be provided for the materials you choose.

What affects the cost

• Material and grade (meanings of Standard, Premium and Extra confirmed with your quotation).
• Format: ready tiles or slabs that must be cut.
• Quantity per store and number of stores.
• Cutting of plinths and counters by your fabricator.
• Delivery restrictions: night slots, several small drops and mall handling.
• Programme pressure, which may favour materials available now.

Delivery preparation

For malls, plan small scheduled deliveries that match the installation sequence, with the landlord’s permit and service route confirmed in advance. Tell us the drop-off point, permitted hours and who will receive the delivery. Terms are confirmed in your quotation; see delivery preparation.

Samples and viewing

Ask whether a sample or a yard visit is possible. For retail, a sample helps the brand or design team approve colour and finish under their own lighting before a programme is locked.

Care

Mall cleaning often uses scrubber-drier machines. Ask cleaners to use soft pads and a pH-neutral cleaner, not acidic or highly alkaline products. Use entrance mats to trap sand, wipe display plinths with a soft cloth, and use felt pads under display stands. See the granite care guide.

Alternatives

For brand consistency across several stores, porcelain slabs give a repeatable design. Granite tiles are generally the more robust floor choice in our range for busy shops. Marble suits display plinths and walls rather than shop floors. See also the quote checklist and our granite vs marble guide.