Branding that showcases your personality
RETAIL
Draw in more visitors, create a lasting first impression, and showcase your brand with impact. From retail shops to franchises and warehouses, we have the signage solution for every retail business. Transform your store into dynamic and engaging spaces, get creative with your brand’s personality, promote seasonal offers and sales and keep your customers and staff safe with our signage retail solutions. Our guide below will help you through every step.
Why Do You Need Signage For Retail?
Welcoming and inviting environment
Protects and informs staff and customers
Promotion of products and offers
Health and safety compliant
Guides customers around the store
Continuous Support From Us
Fascia Signs
The first thing you see at a retail store is its shop front signage. It identifies your property, displays important information, all whilst advertising your branding to everyone who goes past. It leaves lasting impressions and can sometimes determine if someone will step foot into the store. So you have to nail it, right?
Fascia signs are key to a professional but welcoming appearance, creating a blank canvas to exhibit your unique personality. There are many customisable options for every retail shop, department store, warehouse or superstore, such as illuminated signage like light boxes.
Our experts can help you, from design to installation, reflecting your brand and message. Customisable in shape, materials and colours to suit you.
You can choose from:
• Sign trays for a more stylish, finished look and hidden fixings
• Built up letters and logos to create visual impact
• Flex face signs provide a seamless finish on a huge scale
• Flat cut letters for a tailored 3D effect to help you stand out
• Projecting signs such as double-sided, wall, tray-mounted or traditional swinging projecting signs
• Canopies and awnings to stand out in a busy street, whilst also providing shelter
External Signage
When looking at a shop front, if you look closely, you will perhaps see lots of other signage which can elevate your brand and operations. External signage, like fascia signs, can help to promote your services, identify your premises, but also assist with logistics and health and safety. From welcome signs to accessible parking, your signage can help support your business.
Whether you have a large supermarket, shopping centre, a warehouse with parking or offers that you would like to display, our solutions have you sorted. You can use external signage as wayfinding with maps and instructions on posts and panels, or perhaps on monoliths. Window graphics can also be used to really make your shop window stand out, highlighting sales, offers or colourful branding using decals or film.
Promotional solutions can be an ideal way to promote your business outside of your brick-and-mortar store, or in other locations. From building wraps to exterior banners, you can get your message across to your audience.
You will need:
• Post and panels for entrances and welcome messaging, instructions, maps and directions
• Illuminated signage, such as halo illumination, lightboxes, backlit & fret cut, faux neon, trough & spot lights and cabochon lighting.
• Window graphics, including frosted window decals, full colour window decals, window film, window manifestations, one way window film and solar window graphics.
• Monoliths and totems to visibly attract and inform visitors
• Disabled access and parking signs are to allow for easy access
• Promotional solutions, including banners, flags, and street furniture
Internal Signs
Internal signage can transform spaces instantly, creating a shop that customers feel welcome in and can browse with ease. From professional wayfinding solutions to locate the department they require, such as the fitting room or toilets (highlighted via iconography on a plaque), we have a range of solutions to improve the client journey and reflect your brand's messaging and values.
For retail stores with younger audiences or products that are more bold, transforming spaces using custom wall graphics, floor graphics or wallpapers can really set your store apart and attract the right customers, as well as acting as directional signage for little ones. Encourage them in and to browse with interactive digital signage, illuminated signage or window graphics that create character and personality.
Internal wayfinding and directional signage are essential for guiding customers around stores, departments and shopping centres/malls. These can also be crucial in warehouses to help keep staff members safe.
Internal signage can also assist functionality, not just through wayfinding solutions but also using window decals to highlight walkways or privacy screens. However, if your retail business is less customer facing, there are other internal signs to signpost staff members to directories, offices, health and safety and plaques.
You will need:
• Custom wallpaper, floor graphics and wall graphics to be creative and colourful to your brand’s guidelines
• Notice boards and digital signage to highlight notices and important information messaging
• Pop-up banners for events and offers
• Architectural finishes for cost-effective refurbishments
• Directories, door signs and nameplates for staff access and administration offices
• Plaques for certifications or floor level signs
• Point of sale such as internal banners, pop-up displays and labels and stickers
Vehicle Signage
Nothing showcases your brand quite like a moving billboard. Your vehicle can help to promote your products/services, whilst you just get things done, whether that’s delivery services or warehouse vans.
Choose from a bespoke graphic to a full colour wrap to really push the boat out there. We can wrap just one van or a whole fleet! Read more in our guide to vehicle graphics.
You will need:
• Van graphics, such as modular vehicle wraps, partial wraps, full wraps, decals & stickers and reflective markings
• Car graphics such as partial wraps, full wraps, decals & stickers and reflective markings
• Lorry & bus graphics for warehouse deliveries directly from your store
Health and safety
Whether your business is customer facing or behind the scenes, there are mandatory health and safety signage for safety standards. From hygiene in public toilets, hazards in cafeterias in shopping centres or fire safety in warehouses, there are compliant solutions that will keep your customers and staff safe.
Our internal and external signage can also be adapted for all ages to understand, depending on the setting.
You will need:
• Health and safety signage, including compulsory signage, fire and emergency signs, hygiene signs, hazard signs, prohibition signs, traffic signs, and braille and tactile signs
• Digital signage can be used to highlight safety notices
• Post and panel signs can also be used to inform others
Our Health and Safety Signs
• Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) can include Health & Safety Executive (HSE) guidance, and Care Quality Commission (CQC) expectations
• Member of the British Signs & Graphics Association
Shop Signage and Fascias
Shop signs are the first thing that your customers are likely to see. They’re the easiest way to help consumers spot your business and give them an indication of what your business is about.
As a vital marketing tool, shop signage can be used to:
- Create and establish your brand and receive recognition.
- Attract new customers and generate interest.
- Galvanise customer spend and create impulse sales.
In an increasingly competitive retail environment, it’s more important than ever to find ways to stand out. Here, shop front signs play a vital role.
Interestingly, according to the Sign Research Foundation, 61% of consumers have failed to find a business because its sign was too small or unclear. These things matter. Get it wrong, and potential customers may simply pass you by. Get it right, and you can capture attention, draw in consumers and drive sales.
Shopfront signage matters
According to the International Sign Association:
- 34% of shoppers associate sign quality with store and product quality.
- 29% of shoppers make store choices based on the information communicated by store signs.
- 5% of shoppers say they have made quality assumptions about a business based on whether that company has clear and attractive signs.
In retail, first impressions matter. Consumers can assume a lot of things about your business and brand based on a simple glance at its signage. If a sign is of high quality and clearly captures your brand’s personality, it will likely pay dividends.
Temporary seasonal signage
Throughout the year as campaigns, promotions and collections change you may also look to update your temporary signage.
To make the most of increased spending at certain points of the year such as Christmas, advertising what you have on offer or simply sharing a well-wish, can be achieved using retail signage.
Case Studies
Would you like to see what projects we have completed for those in the retail sector, know what to expect, and get inspiration for your brand?
Retails Signage FAQs
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Q. When should you use store signage?Collapse Expand
You can use retail signs throughout the interior and exterior of your building.
As well as bold external displays, retail signs may also be used both indoors and outdoors to highlight promotions, guide shoppers to certain products and further accentuate the brand.
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Q. What are most business signs made of?Collapse Expand
Acrylic is often the most popular choice as it is both durable and easy to clean. However, there are many cases in which alternative materials such as Correx, Foamex, aluminium or vinyl are preferred.
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Q. How can I make my shop signage attractive?Collapse Expand
There are many ways to make a sign look appealing and stand out, from deploying bright and bold colours to using the right font style and sizes. Critically, any sign should be clean, simple and easy to read.
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Q. Do shop signs need planning permission?Collapse Expand
Ultimately, it depends on the dimensions, fixtures and style of the sign. You may need to apply for advertisement consent to display a sign larger than 0.3 square metres (or any size if illuminated) on the front of, or outside, your store.
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Q. What is a fascia sign?Collapse Expand
A fascia sign is typically the main sign that has been installed at the front of a building. It is usually large and prominently positioned and will be the first thing that people passing or visiting your premises will see.
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Q. What is a shop signage?Collapse Expand
Shop signage relates to signage that is used within the retail sector. This can cover a wide range of solutions from wayfinding, fascia and shop front signs, external, internal and vehicle signage, highlighted in this guide. Businesses will need a variety of sets of these to build their perfect solution, which is where Signs Express steps in.
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Q. What should signage include?Collapse Expand
Elements that should feature on your signage will depend on the type of signage you are researching. From wayfinding and monoliths that convey key information, to fascia and window graphics that can be more creative to accentuate your brand, what you include is pretty flexible and bespoke. Our expert team can help create signage that follows your current brand guidelines or support something completely new and fresh.
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Q. How much does fascia signage cost?Collapse Expand
A fascia sign cost will depend on the sizing and any bespoke elements of your signage. But you can get a cost by contacting us for a quote.
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Q. What is a shop fascia?Collapse Expand
A shop fascia is the sign that sits front and centre on the exterior of your retail store. It promotes your brand and the unique personality of your business, whilst highlighting your premises. It increases your visibility and credibility, but it isn’t your only option for exterior signage. You can also read more about shop fascias vs sign trays.
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Q. What to put on a shop sign?Collapse Expand
Any retail signage, whether that is in-store signage, outside a shop front or any other solution, should include important information for your customers or audience, contact information, opening times, as well as a clear branded design that is consistent with your products/services/values.
For more frequently asked questions, visit our FAQs page.
Our Process
As leading signage experts, we are your one-stop shop for retail signage — from initial consultation and bespoke design to expert installation and dedicated aftercare. Our end-to-end service ensures a seamless experience, tailored to your brand and business goals. Find out more about how we bring your vision to life.
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