Finding the best location to place RMUs is vital to ensure success.

Julia Langkraehr of Retail Profile says: "There are many things that help us determine the best positioning, but first is the size of the scheme and width of the hallways. There is a six-metre minimum to meet fire and exit requirements.

"After that we want these RMUs to play in the traffic so we try to place them in walkways and intersections of walkways. We also have to look at the best places to stop traffic in order to increase the dwell time."

Langkraehr insists Retail Profile is focused on working in partnerships to provide the best revenue from commercialisation and to establish a good mix of activities.

"We usually leave centre court areas for bigger promotions, events and book signings," she says. "We like to be co-operative, but sometimes the number of RMUs gets reduced."

For RMUs, flexibility is important to ensure the malls remain new and interesting to customers.

"One of the key components for a successful programme is that RMUs cannot fix a traffic control problem," says Langkraehr. "RMUs are not destination orientated - they need traffic to drive on. Therefore, we have a policy of moving RMUs around and that can help with sales. We find that if we move them around it gets them to clean everything and show their merchandise in a different way."

Langkraehr also points out that shoppers are very much habitual beings - often parking in the same space, entering a scheme through the same entrance and so on.

"If you move things around, then people who have been coming to a shopping centre forever might notice a store they have never seen before," she adds.

The RMUs are mounted on wheels, so it is easy for the occupiers to move on to a new location, though Langkraehr says the location must be commercially viable and the retailer must have some degree of notice.

At the same time, she ensures that RMUs are easy to move at a moment's notice for housekeeping reasons, such as a leak. For these purposes, she likes to identify alternative zones and areas into which an RMU can be moved quickly without affecting its trade.

Flexibility is also key when it comes to adapting the RMUs for different traders, due to the often quick turnaround in occupiers.

The Unicam Group designs, manufactures and produces the Port-a-Shop RMU range for shopping centres and factory outlets.

"Our Port-a-Room range is now modular, designed around a number of schemes that fit any configuration of retail space. Product is easily shipped to site and can be built and in operation within a day," says general manager Sally Salter.

"The beauty of the modular approach is that products can be developed to fit a client's brand and to match the retail experience they want their customers to enjoy," continues Salter. "And when one section is out of date, it can be changed, moved or upgraded overnight. This approach delivers real flexibility.

"One client asked us to provide a help desk to assist customers when their site first opened. After a few months, when people knew their way around, by simply changing modules and adding new visuals, the help desk morphed overnight into an income-earning juice bar."

By adopting the modular approach, Unicam has also managed to cut production times and significantly reduce costs.

Salter adds: "Retailers are always looking for new ideas, for ways to reduce costs and for ways to maximise returns from their investments in space.

"It was very satisfying to have the opportunity to tell other managers about the improvements in our business that have both added to our bottom line and helped build a core of very happy clients across Europe."

Number one for RMU house sales

Paisley is the first shopping centre in the UK to sell houses from an RMU. 1 Move Estate Agents took occupancy of an RMU within the centre last October and, in the first month alone, sold three properties with a combined value of £178,000.

Paisley shopping centre commercialisation manager Susan Wilson says: "This is a whole new product area for RMUs in shopping centres. It's taking the traditional estate agent business to a whole new customer base."

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