2012 Annual Store Construction & Outfitting Survey

Retail expansion is edging up, and so is the cost of construction materials and labor, according to Chain Store Age’s 2012 Store Construction & Store Outfitting survey, which tracks retail building activity and construction costs.

The annual survey, conducted by Leo J. Shapiro & Associates, Chicago, for Chain Store Age, is based on results from retail chains across the country. Along with construction costs, store size and expansion plans, it also examined the costs of store outfitting systems — including lighting, flooring, signage, fixtures, roofing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) — and retailers’ plans with regard to the use of green materials, LEED and Energy Star certification.