Insights
Notes From The Workshop.
No filler. Budgets, programmes, landlord approvals and the detail that decides whether a fit-out lasts five years or fifteen, written by the people who build it.
Budgets · 7 min read
What Does a Retail Fit-Out Cost in the UK?
Honest budget ranges for shops, kiosks and offices, and the five things that actually move the number.
Read →
Choosing a contractor · 6 min read
How to Choose a Shopfitter: 10 Questions to Ask
The questions that reveal whether you are talking to a maker or a middleman.
Read →
Process · 6 min read
Landlord Approval for Retail Fit-Outs: A Practical Guide
Approvals delay more openings than construction does. Here is the sequence, and how long each stage really takes.
Read →
Choosing a contractor · 5 min read
What Is a Shopfitter? The Difference Between Shopfitter, Builder and Interior Designer
Understanding the role that sits between design drawing and trading day, and why it matters.
Read →
Trends · 6 min read
Retail Shopfitting Trends for 2026
The trends that matter for the next wave of retail, leisure and hospitality fit-outs.
Read →
Sustainability · 6 min read
Sustainable Shopfitting: How to Build Retail That Lasts
Sustainability is not a finish. It is a set of decisions about durability, adaptability and waste.
Read →
Budgets · 9 min read
Office Fit-Out Costs: What You Pay Per Square Foot
Cat A and Cat B rates per square foot, what each band actually includes, Cardiff and regional pricing, and the costs people forget to budget.
Read →
Materials · 6 min read
Corian and Solid Surface Worktops: Costs, Care and Where They Win
What solid surface really costs, how it compares with quartz and stone, and why it is repairable when they are not.
Read →Process · 6 min read
What Is a Retail Kiosk or RMU? Costs, Lead Times and Mall Rules
What a mall kiosk costs, how long it takes, and exactly what the centre will ask you for before you trade.
Read →Budgets · 8 min read
Shop Fitting Costs: What You Pay Per Square Metre
Per square metre rates for shop fitting in 2026, what each band buys, and how to read a shopfitter's quote line by line.
Read →
Kiosks · 8 min read
Opening a Kiosk in a Shopping Centre: Rules, Approvals and Lead Times
The approval pack centre management actually asks for, the rules that catch people out, and a week by week timeline to trading.
Read →
Materials · 7 min read
Bespoke Joinery or Off-the-Shelf: What Retail Should Actually Buy
Where made-to-measure earns its money, where catalogue units win, and how to split a budget between the two.
Read →
Budgets · 7 min read
Cafe Fit-Out Cost: Real 2026 Budgets
Budget ranges for small and mid-size cafes, what the kitchen and counter actually cost, and two worked examples.
Read →
Budgets · 7 min read
Cat A vs Cat B Fit-Out: Costs and Differences
What Cat A and Cat B actually include, what each costs per square metre in 2026, and who normally pays.
Read →
Design · 6 min read
Shop Counter Design: Sizes, Materials and Costs
Standard counter heights and depths, the materials that survive real trade, and what actually moves the price.
Read →