Integrated Retail Spaces in Apartment and Commercial Buildings
The Service Industry DLC lets you put a retail or service firm directly on the ground floor of your apartments and commercial buildings — merging real estate and retail strategy in one plot of land.
Setting up a store
Each building can host one retail or service firm on its ground floor. Click [Set Up a Store].
The store size must match the building’s footprint. A 2×2 apartment can only host a 2×2 retail store.
Why it is worth doing
| Benefit | What it gets you |
|---|---|
| More from the same real estate | Rental income from the building and trading income from the shop below it, on one plot. |
| Location synergy | Your store sits in the foot traffic your own residents and tenants generate. A convenience store or coffee shop in a busy apartment building feeds off the people already there. |
| Cost efficiency | No separate retail building and no extra land — which matters most in dense urban areas where land is scarce and expensive. |
| Better urban planning | Mixed-use development. Residential, commercial and retail in one place raises the appeal of the whole area, and the profitability of your properties with it. |
Turning it on
Two options in the New Game Settings menu:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Apartment and Commercial Buildings Have Retail Space | Enables retail and service firms on the ground floor of your buildings. |
| General Store | Whether companies can set up General Stores — 2×2 firms offering a wide range of products, which fit these retail spaces well. |
Finding them again
The Firms list in the Information Center shows both sides of the arrangement: a store inside an apartment is marked In Apartment, and an apartment hosting one shows the type of store it holds.
