ABSTRACT
When a store owner or manager buys or rents a retail outlet, he or she is essentially faced with an empty shell, like a flat that a young person may have just moved into. There may be some interior decoration, but it could be tatty or not appropriate to the new business. There may be some structural work that is necessary to make the store operational, for example the shop windows may need to be enlarged or, if it is a clothing outlet, changing rooms may need to be built, or a lift may need to be installed if the store has more than one floor. The architectural features of a store must be considered very carefully, as they may be subject to planning restrictions or could be creatively incorporated into a design to provide originality and distinctiveness.
