Ranging from quaint mom-and-pop establishments and specialty boutiques to gigantic suburban malls with multiple department stores, retail space is where consumers gather to buy goods and services of all kinds. And every time a company opens its doors to the general public, there is an inherent fire and life-safety risk.

Because fire risks must be addressed BEFORE welcome signs are hung, the retail sector holds excellent opportunities for the fire and life-safety industry. The retail sector grosses a whopping 20.32 square feet of leasable area per American citizen. While new gross leasable area has been holding steady with only small annual increases after a huge surge in the 1980s, the retrofit market to maintain the nation’s 5.95 billion square feet of retail space is booming. Of all retail space today, 3.5 billion square feet are at least 20 years old.

Carl Johnson

Vice President of Sales
System Sensor

Tags: Editorial

Posted in Editorial, Fall 2005, Retail

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