The position in retail & financial services
Retail is the largest single category on the non-domestic register and the most exposed to the unlettable-now problem, because the stock is old, small, and frequently held by owners who are not institutional. A parade of shops is typically solid-walled, single-glazed above the shopfront, electrically heated and lit on whatever was installed at the last fit-out.
Shopfront glazing is the measure most likely to attract a devaluation argument, because the frontage is a large part of what the market is buying. Lighting and controls are almost always the fastest route, and in retail they are also the measure the tenant notices most.
This category accounts for 34.8% of all commercial certificates on the register. 12,776 properties are rated F or G – below the minimum that has applied to lettings since April 2023 – and 9,340 have an expired certificate that was rated F or G when issued.
The largest concentrations are in Birmingham, Westminster, Leeds, North Yorkshire, Cornwall, Manchester.
Key figures
Band distribution
| Band | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar | vs England & Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 248 | 0.1% | -0.2 | |
| A | 9,343 | 2.7% | -1.4 | |
| B | 70,983 | 20.4% | +0.9 | |
| C | 130,255 | 37.5% | +4.3 | |
| D | 87,160 | 25.1% | -0.6 | |
| E | 36,681 | 10.6% | -2.3 | |
| F | 6,222 | 1.8% | -0.1 | |
| G | 6,554 | 1.9% | -0.6 |
Floor area profile
| Floor area | Properties | Share | Share, shown as a bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 250 m² | 268,513 | 77.3% | |
| 250–500 m² | 40,050 | 11.5% | |
| 500–1,000 m² | 18,425 | 5.3% | |
| 1,000–2,500 m² | 13,551 | 3.9% | |
| 2,500–10,000 m² | 6,276 | 1.8% | |
| Over 10,000 m² | 631 | 0.2% |
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Common questions
How many retail & financial services properties are below EPC B?
266,872 of 347,446 – 76.8%, which is 0.7 percentage points worse than the 76.1% average across all commercial property.
How many retail & financial services buildings face the 2031 EPC B standard?
10,683 are over 1,000 m² and currently below EPC B.
What is the average size of a retail & financial services property?
326 m² on the certificates lodged for this category.
Other sectors
Offices & workshops
81.3% below EPC B · 259,596 properties
See the data →Restaurants, cafes & pubs
75.0% below EPC B · 121,133 properties
See the data →Storage & distribution
73.4% below EPC B · 81,732 properties
See the data →General & special industrial
81.9% below EPC B · 58,372 properties
See the data →Education
55.7% below EPC B · 21,420 properties
See the data →Hospitals & care homes
53.8% below EPC B · 20,625 properties
See the data →