How Retail Growth
Supports Founders
Choose the level of support that best matches your project. The right advice at the right stage can help
you avoid costly mistakes before decisions become difficult or expensive to reverse.
Site & Lease Protection
£8,000
Choose a stronger location and agree better commercial terms before costly commitments are made.
- Review of up to three locations
- Early identification of commercial and operational risks
- Location suitability guidance
- Heads of Terms review
- Commercial terms negotiation support for one preferred location
MOST FOUNDERS BEGIN HERE
Store Launch Planning
£15,000
Make better location, lease and design decisions before they lead to avoidable cost, delay and rework.
Includes everything in Site & Lease Protection, plus:
- Location search and sourcing support
- Guidance on what the store needs to achieve
- Client-side support during early concept design
- Review of design proposals against the agreed brief
- Landlord design submission and approval guidance
- Early planning across property, design and approvals
End-to-End Store Launch
£25,000
Move from site search through to shopfit and opening preparation with better oversight, stronger sequencing and fewer expensive surprises.
Includes everything in Store Launch Planning, plus:
- Shopfitter sourcing support
- Tender comparison and commercial cost guidance
- Client-side advisory support during shopfit
- Two on-site advisory visits
- Pre-opening planning and launch-readiness support
Fees are fixed for the advisory packages shown.
The final scope is confirmed before work begins. A full breakdown of each package is below.
Selected Retail Property Experience
Practical retail experience matters. Luke’s experience spans the full retail journey, from initial concept through property, design, shopfit and opening, across major UK shopping centres and retail destinations, including:
- Trafford Centre, Trafford
- Metrocentre, Gateshead
- Meadowhall, Sheffield
- Trinity Leeds, Leeds
- Eldon Square, Newcastle
- Westgate Oxford, Oxford
- Braehead Shopping Centre, Renfrew
- Telford Centre, Telford
- Westwood Cross, Broadstairs
- Edinburgh Gyle, Edinburgh
This is a sample of locations, not a full list of every site worked on.
What’s Included
Each service provides a different level of support across the retail launch journey. The sections below explain what each option includes, who it is best suited to, the outcome it is designed to support and the service fee.
Site & Lease Protection
Built for founders who are reviewing locations or negotiating Heads of Terms and want independent commercial guidance before making a legal or financial commitment.
- Review of up to three potential locations
- Location suitability guidance based on the concept, target customer, operational requirements and commercial fit
- Detailed commercial review of the Heads of Terms for one preferred location before legal commitment
- Commercial negotiation support with the agent or landlord on the Heads of Terms for that preferred location
- Advice on key commercial points, including rent, lease term, break options, rent-free periods, service charge exposure and repair obligations
- Early identification of commercial and operational risks before legal and financial exposure begins to build
Best for
- You are actively reviewing potential locations
- You have identified a preferred property and are negotiating Heads of Terms
- You want stronger commercial protection before making a legal or financial commitment
Outcome
A clearer view of which location offers the strongest commercial fit, together with better informed Heads of Terms and greater confidence before making a legal or financial commitment.
Service fee
£8,000
-
£4,000 payable before work begins
- £4,000 payable at the property completion milestone, such as completion of a lease, agreement for lease or other occupational agreement, taking possession or beginning to trade.
The specific events that trigger the milestone payments, together with the full scope and payment terms, are confirmed in the proposal and the Consultancy Agreement with its Statement of Work before the engagement begins.
Store Launch Planning
Most Founders Begin Here
Built for founders who want support from location search through to an agreed early store concept and landlord approval where required. The concept is then ready to progress into technical design, pricing and shopfit delivery through the client’s appointed professional team.
It covers the stages where retail projects most often drift into avoidable cost and delay: selecting the right site, agreeing workable commercial terms, creating a clear commercial and operational brief for the appointed designer, and moving through early design and landlord approval in the right order.
Everything in Site & Lease Protection, plus:
- Development of a commercial and operational design brief
- Guidance on what the store needs to achieve for the customer, team and business
- Identification of key operational requirements for the appointed designer to consider
- Client-side support during early concept design
- Review of design proposals against the agreed commercial and operational brief
- Support keeping decisions and information moving between the client, appointed designer, landlord and relevant advisers
- Guidance on landlord design submission requirements
- Support responding to landlord comments during the early design stage
- Early planning to keep property, design and landlord approvals moving in the right sequence
Design responsibility
The client must appoint and contract directly with a suitably qualified designer, architect, interior designer or design and build specialist.
The appointed designer or design team is responsible for creating the store concept, preparing all layouts, drawings and specifications, developing the technical design and confirming compliance with legal, technical and regulatory requirements.
Retail Growth does not create, approve, certify or take professional responsibility for the design.
Retail Growth’s role is to develop the commercial and operational brief, review proposals against that brief and provide client-side advisory and communication support during the early design and landlord approval stages.
Best for
- You are opening your first physical store
- You need help selecting the right location and planning the store properly
- You want the appointed designer to work from a clearer commercial and operational brief
- You want a more controlled route through property, early design and landlord approval
- You want to reduce the risk of design work progressing before important property decisions have been resolved
Outcome
A stronger store plan developed in the right sequence, with clearer commercial and operational requirements and a more controlled route towards an agreed store concept and landlord approval where required.
The concept can then progress into technical design, pricing, shopfit procurement and build preparation through the client’s appointed professional team.
Service fee
£15,000
- £7,500 payable before work begins
- £3,750 payable at the property and design brief milestone, such as Heads of Terms being agreed, the design brief being approved, concept design beginning or the property transaction completing.
- £3,750 payable at the concept design milestone, such as the concept design being approved by the client, submitted to the landlord or progressing into technical design, pricing or shopfit preparation.
The specific events that trigger the milestone payments, together with the full scope and payment terms, are confirmed in the proposal and the Consultancy Agreement with its Statement of Work before the engagement begins.
End-to-End Store Launch
Built for founders who want experienced client-side support from location search through to shopfit and opening preparation.
It is the most comprehensive level of support and is suited to projects where you want client-side guidance across the main commercial, operational and delivery decisions, rather than support at only one stage.
Everything in Store Launch Planning, plus:
- Support identifying and approaching suitable shopfitters
- Guidance during shopfitter tender comparison and commercial cost review
- High-level build budget guidance to help identify avoidable costs and reduce the risk of overspend
- Client-side advisory support during the shopfit stage
- Two on-site client advisory visits
- Pre-opening planning and launch readiness support
- Support keeping property, design, landlord approvals, shopfit and opening preparation aligned
Project responsibility
The client must appoint and contract directly with suitably qualified designers, shopfitters, contractors and specialist advisers.
The appointed professional team and contractors remain responsible for design, technical compliance, pricing accuracy, construction methods, health and safety, site management, workmanship and completion of the works.
Retail Growth does not act as the architect, designer, quantity surveyor, project manager, construction manager, Principal Designer or Principal Contractor.
Retail Growth does not direct, supervise or control the shopfit works or accept responsibility for their cost, programme, quality, workmanship or safety.
Retail Growth’s role is to provide client-side commercial, operational and advisory support throughout the property, early design, shopfit and opening preparation stages.
Best for
- You want support from property search through shopfit and opening preparation
- You want help comparing shopfitters, tenders and commercial options
- You want an experienced client side view during the shopfit stage
- You want stronger guidance across several connected project stages
- You want a more structured and controlled route towards opening
Outcome
A more controlled route towards opening, with clearer decisions, stronger sequencing and experienced client side support from the early property stage through shopfit and opening preparation.
Service fee
£25,000
- £12,500 payable before work begins
- £6,250 payable at the property and design brief milestone, such as Heads of Terms being agreed, the design brief being approved or concept design beginning.
- £6,250 payable at the shopfit mobilisation milestone, such as tendering, shopfit pricing, shopfitter appointment or pre-construction work beginning.
Reasonable travel, accommodation and parking costs for the two included on-site advisory visits within mainland Great Britain are included in the service fee.
The specific events that trigger the milestone payments, together with the full scope and payment terms, are confirmed in the proposal and the Consultancy Agreement with its Statement of Work before the engagement begins.
Apply for Advisory Support
If you are serious about opening a store and want experienced support with the decisions that matter most, start the short application using the button below. Each enquiry is reviewed to understand your concept, current stage and where support is likely to create the most value.
Takes around two minutes
Typical response within two to three working days
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I am not sure which service is right for me?
Does the service fee include the costs of other professionals?
What if my budget does not match these service fees?
What happens after I apply?
How It Works
Applying is quick, and the process that follows is clear and straightforward from the outset.
APPLY
Choose the service that best fits your stage and complete the short application. It takes around two minutes and gives us enough information to understand where you are.
Step 1
REVIEW
Your application is reviewed to understand your stage, the
support you need and whether the project is a good fit. If suitable,
we arrange a call to
discuss it.
Step 2
AGREE
After the call, we confirm the right service, agree the scope and prepare your proposal, Consultancy Agreement and Statement of Work, so everything is clear before you decide whether to proceed.
Step 3
BEGIN
Once the agreement is signed and the initial payment has been received, support begins with
clear guidance on what to focus
on, what to avoid and how to
move forward.
Step 4
Not Ready for Advisory Support Yet?
The VenQ® Toolkit is a practical starting point for founders who want to prepare properly before committing to one-to-one advisory support.
Explore the Toolkit