What Should Your Retail Estate Look Like in 2027?

Introduction

The in-store experience continues to play an important role in how consumers discover brands, choose where to shop and engage with retailers. But what makes a store worth visiting?

According to CBRE’s UK Retail Generational Survey 2026, which gathered responses from more than 2,000 consumers across Gen Alpha, Gen Z and Millennials, 34% said store aesthetics influence their shopping experience, while 29% value in-store events. The research also found that 56% identify product range as a key driver of store visits.

These findings reinforce an important point: the physical retail environment still matters. How products are presented, the quality of retail displays and the overall store experience all contribute to how consumers engage with a brand.

For retailers, maintaining that experience means looking beyond the initial design and installation. Displays, their individual mods and integrated technology all need to remain relevant, functional and in good condition throughout their lifespan.

Peak trading puts these elements under some of their greatest pressure. Increased footfall, product interaction and day-to-day store activity can expose damage, wear and areas that need attention.

With the busiest trading period approaching, now is the time to start thinking about what happens afterwards. January presents an opportunity to assess how your retail estate has performed, identify where attention is needed and decide which displays or mods could benefit from repair, refurbishment, updating or replacement.

A considered post-peak review can help protect your investment, maintain brand standards and make better use of the displays you already have.

1. Start with a clear picture of your retail estate

Before deciding what needs attention, you need to understand the current condition of your retail displays across the estate.

A post-peak review provides an opportunity to assess how displays have performed during the busiest trading period, identifying where damage, wear or functionality issues may have affected their appearance or performance.

This should go beyond a quick visual check. Consider:

• Condition: Are displays or individual mods showing signs of damage, wear or deterioration?
• Presentation: Are displays still reflecting the brand standards and quality expected?
• Content: Is product information, messaging and promotional material still relevant?
• Functionality: Are lighting, screens, interactive elements and other integrated technology working as intended?
• Overall suitability: Are displays still meeting the needs of the brand, product and store environment?

Having an accurate picture of the estate helps teams understand where attention is needed and prioritise work based on actual requirements.

2.Look beyond individual faults to identify recurring issues

A damaged mod or malfunctioning display might initially appear to be an isolated problem. But when similar issues occur across multiple stores, they can point to a wider pattern.

Reviewing maintenance records, service requests and store feedback can help identify recurring faults, locations with higher maintenance requirements and displays that may need a more proactive approach.

For example, repeated issues with the same mod or component could indicate that individual repairs are only providing a temporary solution. Similarly, recurring faults with lighting or digital technology may suggest that a wider update or replacement programme is more appropriate.

Understanding these patterns helps retailers identify the underlying causes of problems, rather than simply responding to individual maintenance requests.

It can also highlight opportunities to prevent future disruption, improve display functionality and make better use of maintenance budgets.

3.Repair, refresh or replace? Make the right decision for each display

Not every display that has experienced wear or damage needs to be replaced.

In many cases, a targeted repair, refurbishment or update to an individual mod could extend the useful life of an existing display while maintaining the quality of the in-store experience.

The right approach will depend on the condition of the display, the functionality of its individual mods, the cost of intervention and whether it continues to meet the brand’s requirements.

Consider whether each display or mod would benefit from:

• Repair: Addressing specific faults or damage to restore functionality.
• Refresh: Improving the appearance or condition of an existing display.
• Update: Replacing graphics, messaging, individual mods or technology to reflect changing brand and product requirements.
• Redeployment: Moving suitable displays or mods to another location where they can continue to be used.
• Replacement: Investing in a new display or mod where the existing one is no longer fit for purpose.

Making these decisions based on the actual condition and requirements of each display can help avoid unnecessary replacement costs and ensure investment is directed where it will have the greatest impact.

4.Don’t overlook recovery, reuse and responsible removal

When displays or individual mods are no longer required, the next consideration should be what happens to the materials and components.

Removal should not automatically mean disposal. Depending on their condition and material composition, some displays and mods may be suitable for reuse, redeployment or recovery, while others can be separated for recycling.

A more responsible approach considers the full process:

• Identify displays and mods that can be reused or redeployed.
• Recover materials and components that can be given another purpose.
• Separate suitable materials for recycling.
• Ensure remaining waste is handled responsibly.
• Record outcomes to help measure progress and inform future programmes.

Planning for recovery and reuse as part of the removal process can help reduce unnecessary waste and make better use of existing resources.

It also gives retailers greater visibility of what happens to their displays once they are removed from store.

5.Make maintenance part of the ongoing plan

A post-peak review should do more than identify immediate repairs. It should help retailers understand how to maintain display standards and functionality throughout the year.

Reactive maintenance will always have a role when unexpected faults or damage occur. However, a more proactive approach can help identify potential problems before they affect the customer experience.

This might include planned inspections, preventative maintenance, replacing worn mods and components, and regular checks on integrated display technology.

By using maintenance data to understand recurring issues and monitor display condition, retailers can identify where preventative work is needed and reduce avoidable disruption across their estate.

6.Turn your findings into a plan for the year ahead

Once the review is complete, the next step is to turn the findings into a practical programme of work.

Rather than treating every issue as an immediate priority, group requirements according to urgency, business impact and the resources needed to address them.

Your plan might include:

• Immediate repairs to damaged or non-functioning displays.
• Planned maintenance for displays or mods showing signs of wear.
• Display updates to reflect new products, brand guidelines or promotional activity.
• Refurbishment or redeployment of suitable existing displays and mods.
• Replacement of displays or sections that are no longer fit for purpose.
• Removal and recovery programmes for displays that are no longer required.

This gives retail teams a clearer view of what needs to happen, when it needs to happen and where investment should be directed.

It also provides a practical framework for coordinating activity across stores, managing suppliers and keeping programmes on track.

7.Managing retail maintenance at scale takes the right support

For brands managing displays across hundreds or thousands of locations, coordinating maintenance and updates can quickly become complex.

Different store requirements, varying display conditions, access arrangements and competing priorities all need to be managed alongside the day-to-day demands of retail operations.

Having a partner who can support the full lifecycle of retail displays can help simplify this process.

From production and installation through to maintenance, updates and removal, a joined-up approach gives brands greater control and visibility across their retail estate.

At 100 Percent Group, we support brands with retail display solutions designed to keep their in-store environments working, looking and performing as they should.

8.Make your post-peak reset count

Peak trading puts retail displays to the test. What happens afterwards presents an opportunity to make sure they continue delivering value.

By reviewing performance, addressing recurring issues and making informed decisions about repair, refurbishment, updating and recovery, retailers can protect their investment and plan more effectively for the year ahead.

Make your post-peak review the starting point for a smarter, more considered retail estate in 2027.

If you’re planning maintenance, updates or changes across your retail estate, speak to 100 Percent Group about how we can help.

Talk to our team