retail lot ideas?

What are some of your favorite retail lot types from your own game? I've been thinking about putting a retail lot in the new world, and I've been trying to decide what I might want to do with it this time around. I think I've used the retail system fairly creatively, but I'm always interested in hearing what other people do with the system. Here are some of the things I've done in the past:

Art galleries: several worlds. I have an art gallery in Magnolia Promenade, but I also like to add them to worlds my sims regularly use for vacations. For example, one of my all-time favorite lots is an "artists colony" on the most gorgeous waterfront lot at the top of the map in Sulani. It is technically a retail lot, owned by one of my local sims, who sells her local landscapes there. However, it also has bungalows on stilts over the water, a yoga area, lounge chairs, easels on the beach and dock, etc. So some of my sims come there to buy art, and others come to take an unofficial vacation and create their own art.

Book stores: Mortimer Goth owns a bookstore in Magnolia Promenade, where he sells books written by my other sims.

Bakeries: I have a couple of bakeries, in Windenburg and Newcrest.

Takeaway shop: a small shop in Henford that sells grocery items and precooked meals.

Department stores: I have Worthington's Department Store in Magnolia Promenade; it is owned by my in-game Worthington family (canonical rivals to the Landgraabs). It sells clothes, appliances, and furniture, and has a beauty salon and photo studio.

Camping store: one of my outdoorsy sims sold camping equipment, herbalism creations, and handcarved rustic furniture. However, he has now temporarily closed up shop to be a stay at home dad.

Potions and magical paraphernalia. Still working on this one, to replace the bar in Glimmerbrook.

Not retail, but related: I have a thrift shop/boba bar with a roller rink in San Myshuno. I also want to put a small law firm in Magnolia Springs, where my lawyer can go when she works from home, but I have not been able to decide which lot type would be the best fit.

lots

djsboonie
New Adventurer
12 months ago
@MomsBusy why not save the Outdoor Retreat lot that has the displays of frogs, insects, etc to your library & then place it where you want it to be? You'll need to delete unwanted stuff inside & out and maybe modify the building layout but it could work.
FatTribble23
New Scout
12 months ago
"Starfree;c-18330909" wrote:
@MomsBusy why not save the Outdoor Retreat lot that has the displays of frogs, insects, etc to your library & then place it where you want it to be? You'll need to delete unwanted stuff inside & out and maybe modify the building layout but it could work.

That's a very good idea!

I like having furniture stores so when my sims want to upgrade they have to actually go out shopping for new household items. I have a massive store I downloaded from the gallery and tweaked to my liking and it has pretty much everything.

It also has a cafe and of course a cinema because what's a shopping trip if you can't take your stuff to the car (using imagination of course LOL) and rest up at the movies with a good show, comfy seats and a hot dog, ~~Coke~~ Off Brand Soda and popcorn!
amapola76
Seasoned Hotshot
12 months ago
"MomsBusy;c-18330850" wrote:
I love your artist colony idea!

I have 2 Christmas themed toy stores in my current save, plus a bakery and a florist. My florist has a small section for herbology.

I really want a camping store but I'm not much of a builder and none of the builders I follow have made one.

I like the idea of adding retail spaces to worlds I use for vacations... might have to use that idea myself.

Oh, I love the idea of a Christmas store!

I had my camping store in a converted residential lot. I like doing that with several of my retail lots. In real life, I live in an older neighborhood with lots of cute little shops and professional offices in former homes that are Craftsman-style (or occasionally Tudor or smaller Victorians), so I love little shops and offices like that. So when I do that, there's not a lot of building required, I just change the internal layout to add more shelves and cabinets.
amapola76
Seasoned Hotshot
12 months ago
"FatTribble23;c-18330913" wrote:

It also has a cafe and of course a cinema because what's a shopping trip if you can't take your stuff to the car (using imagination of course LOL) and rest up at the movies with a good show, comfy seats and a hot dog, ~~Coke~~ Off Brand Soda and popcorn!

Oh, that does sound fun. I thought about putting a small cinema into Worthington's, but there wasn't quite enough room. I did put a small screening room in the film museum in DSV, because otherwise that building felt pretty pointless to me.

Eventually I want to do a drive-in theater somewhere, as well as a regular movie theater... if I can find a big enough lot, I'd like to use the shell of the cinema from San Sequoia, and then just build a working theater right next to it, so that it appears to be the same complex. But that definitely won't be Tomarang, given the number and size of the lots. Whatever retail lot I do there will have to be pretty compact.
i_love_frogs_11
Seasoned Adventurer
12 months ago
I typically only play with retail lots if my sim owns one and it's usually to sell crafting items or a bakery! I use alot of food mods, so my sims have a lot of items to sell :)
Beatreject12
12 months ago
I have very few retail lots in my game but they are all owned by townies:

1) I have a record store in Copperdale that is owned by a family that lives on the island, the record store really just sells a few instruments and record players
2) I have a bookstore and cult curiousity shop in Magnolia Promenade called Lewis Books that is owned by Vivian Lewis (and will go to her son)
3) I have a WInterfest Tree farm in Glimmerbrook that is owned by a family that lives in a cabin right next to it.

I have linked to the lots that I use for these, highly recommend both. The bookstore is actually on the Gallery, by PlumbobKingdom.
elliebreton
Seasoned Ace
12 months ago
I used to have a little gas station I downloaded with a car outside getting petrol and the inside store was a few food bits and general items for sale that you might find in a gas station.

I have a pharmacy in one of my worlds which sells the medicine you can buy online, also sells the other ailment cures such as the jungle ones, the herbal stuff (outdoor retreat?) etc.
simsimsere
Rising Scout
12 months ago
It's really fun to have a combined furniture store and electronics store. Mine is selling crafted eco lifestyle furniture and robots from university EP. I also have a store for books and magical artefacts. Oh and a wedding boutique as well!
leucosiax
Seasoned Veteran
12 months ago
I really love all these great ideas. I have only has the typical lots, but I found the flower shop to be my recent favorite. Everyone comes to get vases of flowers from this store when decorating their homes, so it really feels like it adds to the dimension of the quality of the decor, that my sim made the arrangement. She is also a vampire and a witch, so I think I may make a sister store on the lot with magical items. Not sure if I can use the vampire aspect for anything.
MaggieMae7276
Rising Traveler
12 months ago
@MomsBusy I downloaded a great retail shop with camping supplies years ago. I use it in all of my saves and enjoy my sims going there to do their shopping before camping. It's called The Outdoor Pro Shop by Drutrubuilder and it is awesome! It works well as the builder put all items on sale before uploading, so you don't have to do it. Just put it down and your sims can go shopping! It should still be available as I downloaded it again recently when I put my Sims 4 on a second computer.