Following the global economic downturn, retailers have increasingly found themselves catering for consumers who have high expectations of the retail experience but who are also cost sensitive.

While retail markets vary globally; suburban sprawl, high density development in urban areas and urban regeneration are driving retail development trends in most regions.

Many design and engineering issues impact on the success of a retail venture, whether a small scale retail outlet, a major shopping complex or a high impact showroom. These include site selection, ease and speed of construction, understanding the demands of public spaces and related issues of foot and vehicle traffic, control of natural light, air and energy, and sustainability. Aurecon also has extensive expertise in designing, developing and implementing traffic management models which provide comprehensive traffic impact assessments for the retail sector.

Aurecon is well respected in the retail industry. We are acutely aware that the margin between a viable and non-viable development proposal can be slim. Our design team creates spaces that attract premium rental while minimising the cost of areas that do not produce income.

Our design solutions address the following issues:

• Comfortable ambience
• Consideration of procurement
• Ease and speed of construction
• Flexibility to end use
• Integration and coordination of building services, structure and architecture
• Maximising net lettable area
• Operation and maintenance costs
• Safety in design
• Security of people, goods and amenities
• Solutions that contribute to landmark status
• Understanding the needs of all stakeholders in the community
• Understanding the demands of public spaces, circulation, natural light and environment
• Whole-life-cycle costs

We take great pride in being design-led, participating in the design process and advising designers from the initial concept stage through to completion. We collaborate with our clients and their architects to gain a full understanding of the design philosophy.

Understanding our client’s definition of success, and partnering with them to achieve it, is key to the results we attain.