How to Design a Stylish and Functional Aluminium Shop Front

How to Design a Stylish and Functional Aluminium Shop Front

Smart aluminium shop fronts from BDC Aluminium give you the best of both worlds when it comes to building a commercial façade. They combine style and functionality, making no compromises on important factors like performance and durability.

In today’s competitive retail landscape, a shop front does more than protect an entrance; it reflects a brand’s identity, attracts customers, and facilitates smooth, efficient operations.

Smart Door Planning for Foot Traffic

When planning what the perfect shop front looks like for certain customers or projects, the front door is probably more important than you think. The right door configuration can influence customer experience and the operational efficiency of the business within.

The choice you make will play a role in the customer volume and the type of business drawn in. As such, the choice between single, double, and sliding doors is one you should weigh up and decide based on what you want to prioritise. From commercial aluminium doors to sliding doors and commercial aluminium windows, we supply the best commercial aluminium products on the market. Get in touch with our friendly team to find out more today.

There’s plenty of design flexibility, allowing us to cater to the needs of your clients or customers. Smart commercial aluminium systems support swing, hinged and automatic doors.  They also provide a maximum sash width of 1150mm and a maximum sash height of 2500mm, so you know they can handle large openings.

Having such flexible configurations allows you to choose the door type best-suited to your foot traffic volume and accessibility requirements. For example, if you’re looking for hands-free access, our automatic doors are for you. For heavy inbound traffic, the sliding door’s smooth functionality and large openings may suit you best.

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Maximising Display Potential With Commercial Aluminium Doors & Windows

Our aluminium shop front system accommodates both double and triple-glazed units, offering enhanced design flexibility while maximising display potential.

The larger glazed areas we offer increase natural light, create inviting retail facades, and allow product displays to be visible from outside, which can be important for certain customers who wish to draw in as many passers-by as possible.

We boast a wide palette of finishes and colours for your aluminium shop front. Smart offers hundreds of high-quality standard and non-standard colours and finishes to fit almost any requirement. With a wide selection of colours available, our frames can be tailored to reflect brand identity.

As they’re powder-coated, durability will never be an issue. The colour is baked on, providing a lasting finish that won’t peel off or fade, and comes with a 25-year colour guarantee for that added peace of mind.

Security & Durability

Our system meets all necessary security standards, including LPS 1175 Level 2, BS EN 1627 Level 3. They also feature grade 6 locking mechanisms, with locking bolts withstanding side loads of 10 kN. As one of the largest commercial aluminium manufacturers, our aluminium shop front products are renowned for their security and durability.

They feature a sash weight capacity of 80 kg and a robust frame depth of 100 mm, to enable durable, high-traffic use. Aluminium’s strength, added to the engineered locking system and hardware, provides peace of mind to retail spaces.  This is especially important for high-use entrances.

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BDC Aluminium: Commercial Solutions

The Smart Wall Shop Front by BDC Aluminium and Smart is your one-stop solution for retail and commercial facades: visual appeal, accessibility, performance, robust security and durability, all in one system.

Its customisation and design flexibility options mean it can be tailored to any retail brand or layout requirements.

If you’d like to work with BDC on your next project, why not apply for a trade account? Get in touch with our experts today to see how we can help you help your customers.

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Winter Views, Summer Ready: The Benefits of Installing Bifold Doors in January
1 day ago News

Winter Views, Summer Ready: The Benefits of Installing Bifold Doors in January

January is the perfect time to get ahead of the year’s projects. It’s strategic, as it allows forward-thinking businesses to put plans in place for important glazing upgrades, like bifold doors. While some may view bifolds purely as seasonal products, they provide benefits all year round.  BDC Aluminium’s Smart Visofold doors are engineered, trade-focused systems perfect for early-year installation. Beating the Spring Rush for External Renovations Spring is the peak season in the development sector. Installer availability is tight, and lead times on purchases are often extended. Demand increases significantly in preparation for summer installations, placing greater pressure on schedules and lead times. Planning installation for January allows for better scheduling with surveyors/install teams, reduces the risk of seasonal delays, and provides a smoother process for larger projects. How Smart Visofold Bifolds Keep the Cold Out The Visofold 1000 Slim maximises glazed areas, thanks to its ultra-slim sightlines. This is achieved while maintaining strength and thermal performance, with no compromise on performance. They’re weather-tested to BS 6375 Part 1;2009, and security tested to PAS 24, demonstrating their reliable performance and their compliance with building regulations. Available in over 200 RAL colours and finishes, with the capability for dual-colour options (different finishes on either side of the door), our Visofold 1000 Slim supports bespoke architectural requirements. The Smart Visofold 6000 features some of the slimmest sightlines on the market at 94mm, delivering expansive glazed openings and larger views. They’re perfect for larger or feature openings, where creating visual impact and strong performance are priorities. Their contemporary profiles make the 6000 suitable for both classic and modern buildings – helping installers satisfy a broad range of specifications. Strong weather sealing and precision engineering of each system make them suitable for installation all year round and perform even in the colder months. For us, a trade account with BDC Aluminium is a partnership – not just a price list. In partnering with BDC, you’ll benefit from priority service during busy periods, and our competitive pricing will protect margins Repeat ordering is streamlined – making it quicker and more straightforward when ordering systems you’ve purchased from us before. We provide end-to-end support, taking care of you from quotation to delivery. We’re proud to offer expert support for our trade partners, and we pride ourselves on our technical expertise. Start Your 2026 Right with BDC Bifold Doors Early planning and installation reduce the risk of seasonal disruption and improve delivery certainty throughout the year. Start your 2026 off right by partnering with BDC

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