Choose your business structure

Decide whether to trade as a sole trader or limited company.

Find premises

Key considerations for retail premises - location, lease terms, and planning.

Building regulations

If you're fitting out a shop, you may need building regulations approval. Here's what to consider.

Legislation: Building Regulations 2010 (England)
Full plans decision: 5 weeks (2 months with your consent)
Building notice: Start work 2 days after submitting
Approved Documents: Parts A to T
Part T (toilets): In force from 1 October 2024
Completion certificate: Usually within 8 weeks of completion

Approved Documents (Building Regulations) (opens in a new tab)

Building regulations in Wales

How building regulations work in Wales: Welsh Approved Documents, building control, the Welsh higher-risk building regime from 1 July 2026, and SuDS approval.

Building regulations in Wales are devolved. The Building Act 1984 is the primary legislation, and the Welsh Government makes the building regulations and publishes the Approved Documents for Wales. For building work in Wales you must use the Welsh Approved Documents. The rules that apply depend on where the building work is, not where your business is based.

Primary legislation: Building Act 1984
Regulations: Building Regulations 2010, as amended by Welsh statutory instruments
Approved Documents: Parts A to R and Approved Document 7, on GOV.WALES
Parts L and F: Welsh editions, updated on GOV.WALES on 7 April 2026
Building control: Local authority or registered building control approver
Approver and inspector registers: Building Safety Regulator, acting for the Welsh Ministers
Higher-risk building work: Local authorities only, from 1 July 2026
Sustainable drainage: SuDS approval body consent, from 7 January 2019

Higher-risk buildings

From 1 July 2026, the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025 apply. A higher-risk building has at least 7 storeys or is at least 18 metres high, and has at least 1 residential unit or is a hospital, care home or children's home. Hotels, secure residential institutions and military accommodation are excluded.

For higher-risk building work you need building control approval before work starts and again when it is complete, you must follow change control and report safety issues, and you must keep a golden thread of information about the building. Only local authorities can oversee new higher-risk building work. Work where full plans were deposited, or an initial notice was accepted, before 1 July 2026 stays under the earlier rules unless it has not started within 3 years.

Other building work

From 1 July 2026, the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025 replaced the deposit of plans with applications for building control approval, set duties for dutyholders on all controlled building work, and gave local authorities compliance notices and stop notices. Building control approval lapses if work has not started within 3 years.

The Building Safety Regulator registers and regulates building inspectors and building control approvers in Wales on behalf of the Welsh Ministers. The Welsh Ministers regulate local authority building control.

Sustainable drainage

Since 7 January 2019, construction work with drainage implications needs approval from the SuDS approval body (SAB) before it starts. This is a separate consent from building regulations approval. Work covering less than 100 square metres does not need SAB approval.

Building regulations: approved documents - GOV.WALES (opens in a new tab)

Building regulation - GOV.WALES (opens in a new tab)

gov.uk

Register for business rates (opens in a new tab)

You'll need to pay business rates on your shop premises.

Choosing the right business insurance

Start with the insurance the law requires: if you employ anyone, you must have employers' liability insurance with at least £5 million cover, and business vehicles need motor insurance.

Insurance for retailers

Retail businesses need specific insurance cover. Here's what to consider.

The insurance your business needs depends on what it does. Some types are required by law. Some are required by professional regulators. The rest are not required by law, but you may still need them for contracts or to protect your business. Each type below starts with its legal status, so you can see which group it is in.

Employers' Liability: Required by law if you employ anyone, with at least £5 million of cover. Covers claims from employees injured or made ill at work.
Motor Insurance: Required by law for any vehicle used for business on roads or in other public places. Driving uninsured is a criminal offence. Covers claims from accidents in vehicles used for work.
Professional Indemnity: Required by some professional regulators, for example for many solicitors, financial advisers and architects. Covers claims of negligent advice.
Public Liability: Not required by law, but clients and landlords often require it in contracts. Covers claims for injury to other people or damage to their property.
Products Liability: Not required by law, but essential if you make or sell goods. Covers claims from defective products.
Business Contents: Not required by law, but recommended if you have equipment or stock. Covers business assets against theft, fire and damage.
Business Interruption: Not required by law, but recommended if a fire or flood would stop you trading. Covers lost income when you cannot trade.
Cyber Insurance: Not required by law, but recommended if you hold personal data or rely on IT. Covers data breaches, ransomware and regulatory fines where insurable.
Key Person: Not required by law, but worth considering if your business depends on a few people. Covers the business if one of them dies or is incapacitated.

Choosing the right cover

Do you employ anyone? Employers' Liability is required by law
Do you use vehicles for work? Business motor insurance is required by law for use on roads or in other public places
Are you in a regulated profession? Check whether your professional regulator requires Professional Indemnity, and how much
Do you deal with customers or visit other premises? Public Liability is not required by law, but clients and landlords often require it
Do you make or sell physical products? Products Liability is not required by law, but essential

Measure, pack and label goods you sell by weight or volume

If you sell goods by weight or volume, you must use metric units and weighing equipment passed as fit for trade use

Consumer rights for retailers

As a retailer, you must comply with consumer protection law. Here are the key requirements.

Short-term right to reject: Consumers can reject faulty goods within 30 days for a full refund.
Refund timeframe: Must provide refund within 14 days of agreeing consumer is entitled to it.
Repair/replacement: After 30 days, consumers can request repair or replacement before refund.
Return costs: Business pays reasonable return costs unless consumer returns to physical shop.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives consumers strong protections when buying goods and services. Businesses cannot use exclusion clauses or notices to remove these legal rights. Local authority Trading Standards enforce consumer law and can apply for court fines for breaches.

Consumer Rights - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)

Retail regulations

Retail businesses must comply with various regulations. Here's an overview.

Alcohol sales: Illegal to sell to under-18s. Staff under 18 cannot sell alcohol unless approved.
Tobacco sales: Illegal to sell to under-18s. Must sell in packs of 20+. Fines up to £2,500.
Age verification signage: A3 size minimum notice required for tobacco sales.
Challenge 25 policy: Trading Standards recommend asking for ID from anyone appearing under 25.

Selling alcohol (opens in a new tab)

Fire safety

Complete a fire risk assessment before opening to the public.

Fire safety requirements

All business premises must comply with fire safety regulations. Here's what you need to do.

If you are the responsible person for non-domestic premises you must carry out a fire risk assessment, review it regularly and keep a written record of it. The responsible person is the employer, owner, landlord or occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises, such as a facilities manager or managing agent. Where there is more than one, you must work together. The Order also applies if you have paying guests, for example in a bed and breakfast, a guesthouse or a self-catering property.

Fire risk assessment: Required for all non-domestic premises
Written record: Required whatever the number of employees (from 1 October 2023)
Review: Regularly, and if you suspect it is no longer valid or the premises change significantly
Non-domestic premises: Workplaces, commercial premises, premises the public can enter and the common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings

As the responsible person you must:

carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly
tell staff or their representatives about the risks you have identified
put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire safety measures
plan for an emergency
give staff information, fire safety instruction and training

Fire safety in the workplace (opens in a new tab)

Your duties as an employer under health and safety law

Every employer in Great Britain must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of its employees, and must not put other people at risk.

Health and safety essentials

You have legal duties to protect everyone in your shop. Here's what's required.

Written policy (5+ employees): Required in writing
Risk assessment: Required for all employers
Employers' Liability insurance: £5 million minimum cover
First aid provision: Equipment and people, based on assessed needs
Accident book (RIDDOR): Record injuries; report specified incidents to HSE

HSE - Getting started with health and safety (opens in a new tab)

When promoting your shop, make sure you follow advertising rules. Here are the key requirements.

Accuracy: All claims must be truthful and evidence must be available to back them up.
Price information: Prices must be clear. Include VAT if selling to consumers.
Comparisons: Comparisons with competitors are permitted but must be fair and factual.
Endorsements: Paid partnerships and gifted items must be clearly disclosed.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) enforces advertising rules. Breaking the rules can lead to ads being banned and reputational damage.

ico.org.uk

Data protection (opens in a new tab)

If you collect customer data, you must comply with GDPR.

Open a shop

Choose your business structure

Find premises

Register for business rates (opens in a new tab)

Choosing the right business insurance

Measure, pack and label goods you sell by weight or volume

Fire safety

Your duties as an employer under health and safety law

Check if you need to register for VAT

Hire staff

Advertise your shop (opens in a new tab)

Data protection (opens in a new tab)

Open a shop

Next steps

Set up auto-enrolment for your workplace pension

File your first Self Assessment tax return

Manage your tax compliance

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