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Makan Al Najah

Guides

Fitting out a retail shopfront

The shopfront is the only part of the unit seen from outside, and the part the landlord controls most closely.

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Café interior with arched wall recesses, pendant lights and banquette seating

Mall landlords and many street-front developments publish design criteria for shopfronts: materials, glazing lines, signage zones and sizes, lighting and how the unit meets the common area. The shopfront design is submitted for approval before construction, and changes after approval usually need resubmission.

Element pages explain one part of a larger renovation in detail: what is being chosen, what the installation involves, and where the cost and time usually sit.

Practically, the shopfront has to do several jobs: show the products, carry the signage, provide a secure entrance and closure out of hours, and keep the conditioned air inside. Glazing, doors, shutters and signage are coordinated in one design so each fits the others.

What matters most on this page

  • Landlord criteria come first

    Materials, signage zones and glazing lines are usually set by the landlord.

  • Approval before building

    Shopfront drawings are submitted and approved before fabrication starts.

  • Security and closure

    Doors, locks and shutters are designed with the frontage, not added afterwards.

Shopfront components

  • Glazing

    Large panels show the interior; framing and fixing details follow the landlord’s criteria.

  • Signage

    Size, illumination and position within the permitted zone, with power planned behind it.

  • Entrance

    Doors that suit the footfall, with shutters or security closure where required.

Before the shopfront is designed

  • Get the fit-out manual

    It contains the shopfront criteria and the approval process.

  • Fix the brand requirements

    Logo sizes, colours and materials from the brand guidelines.

  • Plan the submission

    Allow time for review in the programme before fabrication.

Questions we are often asked

Can the shopfront use our brand materials?

Often within the landlord’s limits. The criteria specify what may vary and what must stay consistent.

Who approves illuminated signage?

Usually the landlord, and sometimes an authority depending on the location and type.

Is a shutter required?

It depends on the location and the landlord’s security arrangements.

Can the shopfront change after opening?

Changes usually need a fresh submission to the landlord, so it is worth settling the design properly before the first approval.

Related guides

Start from commercial fit-out, browse the guides, or see all renovation and fit-out services. We work on homes and commercial premises across Dubai.

Tell us about the property

Tell us which room, which element and what is being replaced. We will confirm the measurements and the sequence that follows.

Next step

Start with the landlord’s criteria

Send the fit-out manual and your brand guidelines. We will prepare a shopfront design that suits both and plan the submission.

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