Electrical for retail fit-outs

What a retail space needs from its electrical

In retail, the electrical system is part of the sales floor. Lighting draws customers in and makes merchandise look right. Displays move every season and need power where the next layout puts them. Point-of-sale has to work every minute the doors are open. And the opening date is usually fixed long before construction starts.

The electrical work also has to fit around everyone else. Millwork, fixtures, signage, IT and security vendors all need power and data in specific places, and they often arrive in the last two weeks before opening. The electrical contractor is usually the trade that ties their requirements together.

A good fit-out plans for all of that at once, so the store opens on time and can change without rewiring.

Read the landlord's criteria first

Malls and many retail plazas publish tenant design criteria. They often set rules that shape the electrical scope and schedule:

• Approved or required contractors for fire alarm and base-building tie-ins
• When noisy work and shutdowns are allowed, often after hours
• Storefront and signage rules, including sign size, lighting and hours
• Where your panel is fed from and how it is metered
• Insurance, safety orientation and close-out document requirements

Read them before design starts. A layout that ignores the criteria gets sent back, and that costs time you rarely have in a retail schedule. Our guide to tenant improvements covers capacity, permits and inspections.

Layered lighting that sells

Retail lighting works in layers. Ambient light lets customers move around comfortably. Accent light from adjustable track heads picks out displays and features. Wall washing lights the perimeter shelving so the store looks full and bright from the entrance. Window displays and the exterior sign do the job of attracting people from outside.

Choose LED fixtures with good colour rendering, so products look the way they will at home, and keep colour temperature consistent across the store. Track lighting adds flexibility because heads can move with the merchandise. Energy code requirements may apply to lighting power and controls, and your designer confirms which apply to your space. See LED retrofits for upgrading existing stores.

Power and data where the displays will be

Plan power for today's layout and for the next one.

• Floor boxes under central displays, so cords do not cross aisles
• Receptacles in window displays, switched or on a time clock
• Dedicated circuits for point-of-sale terminals, with data beside each
• Power for digital screens, security gates and the back-room network rack
• Spare capacity and spare panel spaces for seasonal displays

Point-of-sale systems are sensitive to power interruptions. A small UPS at the cash wrap keeps terminals running through short dips and gives time to close out transactions.

Security and low voltage

Most stores need cameras, an intrusion alarm, anti-theft gates at the entrance and access control on the back door. These systems share the ceiling space, the network and sometimes the power with everything else, so bring them into the electrical plan from the start. See video surveillance and structured cabling.

Many cameras and access control devices are powered over the network cable from a switch in the back room. That makes the network rack a critical piece of equipment: give it a dedicated circuit, a small UPS and enough ventilation. Agree on camera views with your loss prevention lead before the ceiling closes, because moving a camera later means opening the ceiling again.

Controls and the schedule

Good controls save energy and staff time. Time clocks and control panels turn sales floor lighting on before opening and off after close, keep window displays lit into the evening, and leave night lighting on for security. Back rooms and washrooms suit occupancy sensors.

Before handover, walk the store at night with the controls running on their real schedule. It is the easiest way to catch a sign that stays dark or a window display that never switches off.

Common questions