Explore how Thermoscreens air curtains help retailers create more comfortable shopping environments while reducing energy loss and operating costs. This brochure covers retail applications, key benefits, product solutions, and real-world examples of improving customer comfort, staff wellbeing, and energy efficiency.
SECTOR BROCHURE · RETAIL
Retail. Air curtains for the front of the store.
Entrance climate separation for shops, supermarkets and department stores. Keep your door open and and keep your energy in.
THE RETAIL DOOR DILEMMA
WHERE WE WORK
Keep the door
Retail air curtain solutions for every front-of-house .
open. Keep the energy in.
From luxury department stores in central London to convenience stores on the high street, Thermoscreens has a doorway solution for every retail format:
Luxury and department stores — multiple entrances, bespoke specifications, RAL match for brand-coherent finishes. High street and shopping centre units — surface or recessed mounting for new builds and refit projects. Supermarkets and convenience stores — front-of-house entrances and back-of-house cold rooms covered by one supplier. Premium fashion and design retail — stylish, low-profile units that complement the in-store environment. Pharmacies and specialist retail — protect temperature-sensitive stock and condition-sensitive displays.
An open door is one of retail's most powerful merchandising tools — it signals welcome, increases footfall conversion, and lets in-store scent and visual merchandising reach the street. Industry research shows that closing the door can cut footfall by up to 30%. But every minute that door stays open, your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is fighting the high street. Thermoscreens has been engineering the solution to that dilemma for more than 50 years. A correctly specified retail air curtain decouples the energy loss from the open-door commercial advantage — so you can keep your store welcoming, your customers comfortable, and your operating costs under control.
1965 UK MANUFACTURE SINCE
50+ COUNTRIES SERVED
EN 16101 INDEPENDENTLY TESTED TO
“We've been very pleased with your products and would like to continue using them as a design feature in all our shops.”
— Project Manager, large ice-cream manufacturer
THE COST OF THE OPEN DOOR
You're heating the high street. Open doors in high-street retail can account for up to 60–80% of a building's total heating or cooling loss. For a typical retailer that's hundreds of pounds escaping every week. The numbers below come from independent research, peer-reviewed studies, and published industry benchmarks.
60–80 % Of a retail building's total heating or cooling loss can occur through open doorways.
up to 86 %
£1.5k–£4k Annual wasted heating from a single open doorway in a typical 200m² UK retail unit.
56 %
Reduction in entrance infiltration loss with a correctly specified Thermoscreens air curtain.
Share of total energy use in UK commercial buildings attributable to space heating.
Source: Thermoscreens analysis aligned with CIBSE Guide A.
Source: independent testing to EN 16101:2012 (European air curtain standard).
Source: Thermoscreens / DESNZ GHG Conversion Factors 2024.
Source: Carbon Trust commercial buildings energy benchmarks.
up to 30 % Footfall reduction reported by retailers when entrance doors are kept closed.
6–24 mo
up to 4.5 m Maximum mounting height served by the Thermoscreens high-throw range — PHV and HX Series.
Part L ESOS
Typical payback period for a retail air curtain at current UK commercial energy tariffs.
Entrance infiltration routinely flagged in ESOS audits; Part L mandates minimising energy waste.
Source: published UK high-street retail footfall studies.
Source: Thermoscreens ROI calculations; multi- site retailer benchmarks.
Source: Thermoscreens PHV / HX product specifications.
Source: UK Building Regulations Part L; ESOS scheme guidance.
Energy savings and payback are site-specific; figures shown represent typical UK retail operating conditions. Thermoscreens offers free site surveys to calculate site-specific ROI.
How it works .
Keep the warmth in. Keep the street out .
A retail air curtain projects a high-velocity, controlled jet of air downward across the open doorway. That jet forms an invisible aerodynamic barrier between the conditioned interior of the store and the unconditioned outdoor environment — significantly reducing the loss of warm air outwards in winter and the ingress of warm air inwards in summer, while letting customers walk in and out without obstruction.
Open door — no air curtain. Warm conditioned air escapes at the top of the door, cold street air rushes in at the bottom. The HVAC system fights this exchange every second of trading hours.
Open door — with air curtain. A high-velocity downward jet creates an aerodynamic seal across the doorway. Warmth stays in, the street stays out, and the entrance remains welcoming and unobstructed.
Why velocity matters .
For UK retail, the air curtain is normally heated — electric, low-pressure hot water, or heat-pump — so customers crossing the threshold step straight into warmth, not a draught.
The jet must reach the floor with enough velocity to resist the pressure differential at the doorway. Underspecified units fail at exactly the moment they are needed most — cold mornings, busy doors, gusting wind. Thermoscreens specifies to EN 16101:2012, so the seal performs in real-world conditions.
Energy saving
Customer comfort
✕
✓
Dust & insect protection
Open-door welcome
UNDERSPECIFIED
CORRECTLY SPECIFIED
Jet fails before reaching the floor — cold street air leaks in.
Full-height jet, intact aerodynamic seal — door remains sealed.
THREE WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR RETAIL ENTRANCE
Open. Closed. Or both.
Every retailer faces the same trade-off at the entrance: keep the door open for footfall, or close it to control energy and comfort. The right answer is usually neither of the obvious two — it's the third option that gives you both.
RECOMMENDED
Closed door, no curtain
Open door + air curtain
Open door, no curtain
Welcoming + energy-efficient
Conservative energy strategy
Footfall-first strategy
Up to 86% reduction in entrance infiltration loss (EN 16101).
Minimises entrance heat loss when door is shut.
Maximum welcome and footfall conversion.
✓
✓
✓
Door stays open — full footfall benefit retained.
Lowest capital cost — nothing to install.
Brand experience extends to the street.
✓
✓
✓
Up to 30% footfall reduction reported by UK retailers.
✕
Heated jet at the threshold — customer steps into warmth.
60–80% of building's heating / cooling lost through the doorway.
✓
✕
Reads as “closed” or unwelcoming to passing trade.
✕
Blocks dust, insects, pollen and street pollutants.
£1,500–£4,000 of wasted heat per year per door (typical unit).
✓
✕
In-store scent and visual merchandising can't reach the street.
✕
BMS-ready and door-switch integrated for measurable savings.
Draughts at entrance — staff and customer discomfort.
✓
✕
Awkward customer experience — pushchairs, bags, accessibility.
✕
Surface, recessed, or vertical install to suit any layout.
Increasingly out of step with ESOS, Part L, ESG reporting.
✓
✕
Best for: virtually any retail entrance. Typical payback 6–24 months.
Best for: low-traffic specialist retail where door management is acceptable.
Default position for many UK retailers — expensive and increasingly non-compliant.
OUR RETAIL RANGE
Engineered for the customer experience.
A complete commercial air curtain range purpose-built for retail front-of-house. Surface or recessed, electric, water or heat pump, BMS-ready as standard — with a custom paint and RAL match service so the unit blends seamlessly into your store environment.
RETAIL RANGE
T Series.
The industry standard for commercial and retail applications.
Key features.
Tried, tested and proven, the Thermoscreens T Series is the product of choice for commercial and retail environments of all types and sizes. Robust, very reliable, and highly energy efficient, it offers effective air separation for virtually any retail doorway — from convenience stores to mid-size department store entrances. Available with electric, water (LPHW) or ambient heat sources, surface or recessed mounted, the T Series ships with Ecopower energy-saving controls and is ErP compliant and BMS-ready as standard. For multi-site retail estates, it's the dependable workhorse: same specification across the portfolio, simple to commission, easy to service.
Very energy efficient — a workhorse design with measurable real-world performance.
Ambient, water-heated or electric-heated — specify the right heat source for the store.
Surface or recessed mounting — visible feature or invisible ceiling integration.
Ecopower energy-saving controls on water and electric heated units — intelligent control as standard. ErP compliant and BMS ready — integrates with your retail estate's management system.
Door-switch integration — runs only when needed, maximising measurable savings.
Industry-standard build quality — proven across thousands of UK retail installations.
Multiple sizes — specifications to match any standard retail entrance width.
Water Heated
Electric Heated
Ambient
ErP Ready
Custom Paint
UK manufactured — quick lead times, full technical support, and easy multi-site rollout.
RETAIL RANGE
Compact 2.
Cutting-edge technology for restricted spaces
Key features.
Quiet, stylish, and easy to install, the Thermoscreens Compact 2 o ers a cost-e ective and highly e icient solution for retail applications where space is at a premium and appearance ma ers. The latest air curtain technology in a compact form factor — with a stylish modern design and concealed air-inlet grille that integrates discreetly into the most considered retail interiors. Compact 2 supports both outdoor temperature adjustment and full BMS integration , with a choice of two control units including remote operation. Available with water, electric or ambient heat sources, surface or recessed mounted — engineered to perform in the same Fortnum & Mason class of project.
Stylish modern design with concealed air inlet grille — visually unobtrusive in premium retail interiors. Cutting-edge air curtain technology in a compact form factor — suited to limited headspace above the door. Ambient, water-heated or electric-heated — flexible heat-source choice to suit the project. Surface or recessed mounting — visible architectural feature or fully concealed integration. Outdoor temperature adjustment — the unit responds to external conditions automatically. Full BMS integration — central monitoring and measurable control for multi-site estates.
Water Heated
Electric Heated
Ambient
ErP Ready
Custom Paint
Remote operation — choice of two control units to suit how the store operates.
ErP compliant and BMS ready as standard
3 UNIT TYPES IN BESPOKE SPEC 1707
CASE STUDY · LUXURY RETAIL
The brief .
Putting customer comfort at the forefront with Fortnum & Mason .
As one of London's most prestigious department stores, Fortnum & Mason's iconic Piccadilly building features multiple customer entrances to maximise accessibility and footfall. With doors opening constantly throughout the day, large volumes of conditioned air were escaping. Winter draughts at the entrances affected customer comfort; summer heat ingress strained the heating and cooling systems; and fluctuating temperatures and condensation threatened temperature-sensitive displays of confectionery and chocolate.
FORTNUM & MASON HERITAGE SINCE W1 ICONIC PICCADILLY LOCATION
The solution .
Following multiple site surveys, Thermoscreens' technical team carried out a full assessment of the store's entrances, infrastructure and BMS plans, then supplied a bespoke combination of commercial air curtains : a 2m surface- mounted Compact , a 1.5m recessed Compact , and a 2m surface-mounted HX Commercial Air Curtain . The HX was selected for the entrances requiring enhanced velocity and airflow uniformity. The installation was designed around existing ceiling voids and power supplies, minimising building works.
REPORTED OUTCOMES
Improved customer comfort throughout busy entrance areas.
Cold draughts and external heat ingress significantly reduced.
Condensation at entrances eliminated; temperature- sensitive displays protected.
Thermoscreens supplied a bespoke combination of commercial air curtains, designed around the store's existing infrastructure, ceiling voids and BMS plans — improving customer comfort, reducing draughts and protecting temperature-sensitive displays, with minimal disruption during the works.
Reduced heating and cooling demand on the building's HVAC.
Minimal disruption to trading during installation works.
— THERMOSCREENS PROJECT SUMMARY · FORTNUM & MASON, PICCADILLY
GETTING IT RIGHT FIRST TIME
Specifying your retail air curtain .
A retail air curtain that's undersized, misaimed or run continuously won't pay back. Get the specification right and the unit delivers measurable savings from day one. Use these six checks — or let our retail technical team confirm the spec on a free site survey.
01 · DOORWAY MATCH
02 · MOUNTING HEIGHT
03 · HEAT SOURCE
Match unit length to the full doorway width The seal fails at the edges first. Specify a unit (or paired units) covering the full opening, not just the centre. Side- gap leakage is the most common cause of disappointing performance.
Mount as close to the top of the door as practical The higher the unit, the more velocity is lost before the jet reaches the floor. Standard units cover up to ~2.5m; the PHV and HX ranges cover up to 4.5m for atrium entrances.
Heated for UK retail, ambient for warm- climate or A/C-only stores For most UK applications, choose electric or LPHW heated. Ambient (recirculating) is the right call for summer-only separation, A/C-only stores, or pest exclusion.
04 · MOUNTING METHOD
05 · DOOR SWITCH & BMS
06 · FINISH
Surface for retrofit, recessed for premium
Wire to a door switch and integrate with BMS The unit should run when the door is open, not when the store is empty. Door-switch control and BMS integration are how you turn an entrance specification into a measurable energy-management asset.
RAL match for brand consistency
Standard finish is RAL 9016 white. For premium retail and shopfit projects, Thermoscreens offers a full RAL colour- match service so the unit blends seamlessly with the store environment.
Surface-mounted units fit any ceiling and install fast for refits. Recessed units conceal the unit behind the ceiling line with only the grille visible — the standard choice for luxury and design-led retail.
WHY PARTNER WITH US
British engineering . 50+ years of doorway expertise .
What we bring to a retail project
Accreditations and compliance
Independent testing to EN 16101:2012 — the European air curtain performance standard. Specified performance is real-world performance, not just marketing.
BSI ISO 9001 registered quality management — consistent product quality across the full range.
Free site surveys and ROI modelling — our retail technical team will assess your doorways and calculate site-specific payback before you commit.
EN 16101:2012 tested — independent performance certification under the European standard.
Specification support across the full estate — from a single store refit to a multi- site rollout, one supplier, one technical contact, one shared specification.
ErP compliant across the air curtain range — meets EU energy-related products requirements.
Custom paint and RAL colour-match service — brand-coherent finishes for luxury and design-led retail.
Building Regulations Part L — air curtains directly address the entrance infiltration losses flagged by Part L.
BMS-ready and door-switch integration as standard — measurable savings that survive an ESOS audit.
ESOS-relevant evidence — entrance infiltration is one of the most commonly cited findings in ESOS audits.
2-year warranty on retail air curtains as standard.
3–5 working day delivery for standard units * — supports retail refit and shopfit programmes that move quickly.
UK technical support — phone, email and on-site support from a UK-based team.
UK manufacturing base in Nuneaton, Warwickshire — quick lead times, on-the- ground service, no import lead-time risk.
* Dependent on model specification.
ErP Compliant Range
BSI ISO 9001 Registered
Part L Compliance Support
EN 16101 Independently Tested
GET IN TOUCH
Talk to us about your retail project.
Whether you are refitting a single store, rolling out an estate-wide entrance specification, or trying to understand why your high-street unit's energy bill keeps climbing, the Thermoscreens retail team can help. We offer free site surveys, modelled ROI calculations, and a national network of approved installation partners.
PHONE
ADDRESS
+44 (0) 24 7638 4646
Thermoscreens Limited St Mary's Road, Nuneaton Warwickshire, CV11 5AU · United Kingdom
sales @ thermoscreens.com
ONLINE
thermoscreens.com · /retail/
Your environment is our expertise.
Sector Brochure · Retail · v01 © Thermoscreens Limited. Information correct at time of print; data subject to change as we continually enhance our range. Part of the Carver Group.
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