Blinds & Awnings for Retail

Shading for shops

Strong sun through shop windows can make the inside of a shop uncomfortable for customers and staff, and can affect your displays. Commercial awnings and blinds help you manage the light and heat, and we'll suggest which suits your frontage.

Blinds for shops and showrooms

Retail blinds have to do a few jobs at once. They need to cut glare and heat without hiding your displays, keep the shop comfortable for customers and staff, and look tidy from the street. For large shop windows, we'd often suggest roller blinds in a screen fabric. These let you see out and let passers-by see in, while taking the edge off bright sun. Where you need privacy, such as a treatment room in a salon or a back office, a dim-out or blackout fabric works better.

If your stock is affected by strong sun, it's worth telling us which way your windows face and what you sell. We'll show you fabrics that help with heat and glare — our heat and glare control page explains the options.

Awnings for shop frontages

An awning shades your window from the outside, before the sun reaches the glass, so it can make a real difference to how warm the shop feels. It can also give customers a little shelter and help your frontage stand out. We'll look at the width and height of your frontage, what's above it and how much projection makes sense on the pavement, then suggest a suitable commercial awning. Motorised operation with Somfy controls is an option on many awnings, which makes opening and closing part of your daily routine rather than a chore.

Practical points for retailers

• Easy to clean: busy shops get dusty, so we'd usually suggest fabrics or slats that wipe down easily.
• Safe controls: where customers' children may be around, cordless or tensioned controls avoid loose cords.
• Fitting around trading hours: we'll plan the fitting so it causes as little disruption to your business as possible.

Salons, cafés and other small businesses

Many of our retail customers are small, independent businesses, and the right choice often depends on the look you want. Wooden or faux wood blinds give a warm, natural feel, and faux wood copes better with steam and splashes in a salon. Vertical blinds work well on wide windows at the back of a shop. If you're not sure, bring a photo of your frontage to our showroom or ask us to visit, and we'll show you a few options side by side.

Survey and fitting

Get in touch and we'll arrange a time to look at your premises.