Shop fit-out and retail technology finance
Counters, display units, refrigerated cabinets, tills, card terminals and in-store screens. What can sensibly be financed, and what belongs elsewhere.
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Separate the fit-out into three piles
A shop fit-out quote usually mixes very different things. The first pile is transferable equipment: freestanding display units, counters, refrigerated or chilled cabinets, tills, card terminals, scanners, label printers, digital screens and security hardware. The second is works: shopfitting labour, flooring, lighting installed into ceilings, decoration, signage fixed to the building and shopfront alterations. The third is recurring cost: POS software subscriptions, payment processing fees, support plans and marketing.
Asset finance generally suits the first pile. The second may need a loan or a mix, and the third is usually paid as operating cost rather than financed as an asset. Asking your shopfitter to itemise along these lines makes lender conversations far simpler.
- Freestanding fixtures and display units
- Counters and refrigerated cabinets
- Tills, terminals and scanners
- Digital screens and security hardware
- Installation, case by case
- Software and marketing: usually separate
POS hardware versus software
Many POS systems bundle hardware with a monthly software plan. Hardware such as terminals, tablets, printers and cash drawers is transferable and may be financed. Software is typically licensed, not owned, and the plan often continues alongside any finance. Check what happens to the software if you change provider, and whether hardware is locked to one platform, as that affects its resale value.
Payment terminals may be supplied by a payment provider on separate terms. Avoid financing equipment you are already paying for through another agreement.
Leases, landlords and the end of term
Retail units are usually rented. Your lease may restrict alterations and require you to return the unit to a certain condition when you leave. Financing fixtures over a term longer than your remaining lease, or installing items you cannot remove, can leave you paying for assets you no longer use. Check consents and reinstatement obligations before signing either agreement.
Weighing a fit-out decision
Refresh or refit
A targeted refresh of displays and lighting might achieve much of the goal at lower commitment than a full refit. Compare both.
Plan for slower sales
Footfall can disappoint. Check that repayments remain affordable if takings do not rise after the fit-out.
Check equipment portability
Freestanding equipment can move with you to a new site; built-in fixtures usually cannot. That affects both value and flexibility.
Consider retaining current kit
If existing tills and fixtures work, financing only the gaps keeps total borrowing down.
Costs and risks to weigh
- Financed equipment is security and can be repossessed if payments are missed; personal guarantees may be required.
- Building works funded by a loan may still require security and personal guarantees.
- Total cost over the term, including fees and any option fee, should be compared with paying outright.
- Early settlement can carry charges under the agreement.
- Software plans, support, maintenance and insurance are not necessarily included and continue alongside repayments.
- VAT treatment depends on your business and structure; ask your accountant.
Sorbus Finance is a broker, not a lender, and works with a selected panel of lenders rather than the whole market. Any offer, cost, deposit, security or guarantee requirement depends on the lender's assessment and the agreement itself. Ask for a written breakdown of lender charges and any broker fee. VAT and tax treatment depend on your business circumstances and structure; take advice from your accountant.
Lender and document checklist
- Shopfitter quote split into equipment, works and services
- POS supplier quote separating hardware from software plans
- Premises lease, remaining term and landlord consents
- Recent filed and management accounts and bank statements
- Existing borrowing, including any payment terminal agreements
- Trading figures and a slower sales forecast
- Plans for any second site, if relevant
Related finance services
Sources worth reading
General guidance on asset finance and business loans. Not a source for lender terms or lease advice.
Who you could speak to
- STEP 1
A conversation with a broker
You talk to a real Sorbus broker about the business, the purpose and what is affordable. No application at this stage.
- STEP 2
Credit placement
If you choose to go further, we prepare the case and decide which lenders on our panel of 150+ are worth approaching.
- STEP 3
Lender assessment
The lender, not Sorbus, underwrites and makes the credit decision. Approval is never guaranteed.
- STEP 4
Documentation
If a lender offers terms and you accept, we help coordinate agreements and payout paperwork with you.
Every step after the first is optional. You can stop after the conversation. Sorbus is a broker, not a lender.
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hello@sorbusfinance.co.ukFrequently asked questions
Can a full shop fit-out be financed?+
Parts of it may be. Identifiable equipment may suit asset finance; building works and decoration often need a loan. It depends on the lender and how the quote is itemised.
Can I finance my POS system?+
POS hardware may be considered. Software subscriptions are usually separate and continue as an ongoing cost.
What happens to financed fixtures if I move shop?+
Removable equipment may move with you, subject to the agreement. Built-in fixtures usually stay. Check both the finance agreement and your lease.
Is signage included?+
It depends. Freestanding or removable signage may be considered; signage fixed to the building is often treated as works.
Will a new fit-out increase sales?+
Not necessarily. Finance does not create demand, so base affordability on realistic trading.
Can a new retailer get fit-out finance?+
Lenders assess each case. A short trading history may affect appetite or require additional security.
Planning a fit-out or till upgrade?
Send your quotes and an adviser can help separate what may be financed as equipment from what needs another route.