The electric shutter, standard of the modern shopfront
Turn a key or press a button, and watch your shopfront open in about twenty seconds: that is what a properly installed electric metal shutter delivers. As soon as the opening exceeds three to four metres in width, the curtain is made of heavy solid slats, or you operate it several times a day, motorisation stops being a luxury and becomes the obvious choice: it spares your team's backs, speeds up opening and closing routines, and makes possible large curtains that no one could handle by hand.
Store Xpress installs new electric shutters for every retail format: convenience stores and organic grocers, car dealerships and garages, town-centre pharmacies, brasseries, estate agencies, warehouses and business units — including the Paris branches of international chains, with documentation and follow-up in English if you prefer. Every project starts with a free technical survey on site — dimensions of the opening, available power supply, winding direction, building or co-ownership constraints — followed by a firm, itemised quote.
Central motor or tubular motor: which drive?
The central motor
Mounted at the middle of the winding shaft, the central motor is the historic workhorse of shopfront shutters. Powerful, durable and repairable, it drives heavy solid-steel curtains without strain, up to very large widths. It works together with compensation springs, which reduce the load on the motor and make manual override easy. It is our recommendation for shops with a high frequency of use and for curtains over 100 kg.
The tubular motor
Housed inside the winding tube itself, the tubular motor is more discreet and more economical. It is a natural fit for lighter curtains, rolling grilles and medium-sized openings. Its compactness lets it slip into shallow housings — a real advantage on Parisian shopfronts where every centimetre of lintel counts. We select the motor torque (from 60 to over 300 Nm) according to the exact weight of the curtain, with a safety margin that protects its working life.
Controls and safety devices
- Exterior key switch: the most widespread control, vandal-resistant, letting you open the shop before you have even stepped inside.
- Radio remote control: open from the car or the stockroom — handy for early deliveries and late closings.
- Interior push-button panel (up / stop / down), with a hold-to-run option for the descent.
- Safety brake: compulsory on electric shutters, this device instantly locks the shaft if something breaks, preventing the curtain from free-falling onto a passer-by.
- Manual override: by crank handle or pull cord, it lets you open and close the shutter during a power cut — essential so you are never locked out… or locked in.
- Options: electronic limit switches, flashing warning light, locking contact, programmable timer and centralised control for multi-access sites.
Free survey for your electric shutter
A technician visits, measures your opening and prices your project within 24 hours.
An installation done properly
Installing an electric shutter calls on both metalwork and electrical skills. Our teams fix the motorised shaft on brackets sized for the curtain's weight, mount the side guides plumb to the millimetre, wire the motor to a dedicated, breaker-protected circuit, set the upper and lower limit switches, arm the safety brake and test the manual override. Handover is done with you present: full cycles, timing of the travel, test of the key switch and delivery of the programmed remote controls. You leave with a complete technical file — manual, wiring diagram, certificate of conformity — valuable for your insurer and for the annual maintenance your premises are required to keep up.
If your premises already have a manual shutter in good condition, there is no need to replace everything: our shutter automation service adds a motor to your current shaft. Conversely, for a very small opening with no power supply, a spring-assisted manual shutter is sometimes still the most rational choice — and we will tell you so honestly at the survey.
Indicative prices for an electric metal shutter, fitted
Ranges observed on our recent projects across the Greater Paris region, supplied and fitted:
- Electric shutter with tubular motor, opening up to 3.5 m: €2,500 to €3,800.
- Electric shutter with central motor, solid slats, opening 3.5 to 6 m: €3,500 to €6,500.
- Motorised rolling grille for an arcade or showroom: €3,000 to €5,500.
- Options: additional remote control €60 to €120, flashing light and signage €150 to €300, RAL powder coating €200 to €500.
These figures include the safety brake, the key switch, limit-switch adjustment and removal of the old closure where applicable. A well-maintained electric shutter runs for fifteen years and more; and if it ever fails on an opening morning, our 24/7 emergency service is on the line at 07 66 54 96 41.
We install electric shutters across Île-de-France
From the Haussmann shopfronts of the Grands Boulevards in Paris to the retail parks of the outskirts, our fitters work in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Noisy-le-Grand, Drancy and Colombes, as well as Chelles, Poissy, Savigny-sur-Orge and Franconville. Chains and franchises with several stores in Île-de-France benefit from coordinated scheduling: night-time or pre-opening installation so that no store ever has to close during trading hours.
Frequently asked questions about electric metal shutters
What happens during a power cut?
All our electric shutters are fitted with a manual override, by crank handle or pull cord depending on the motor. You can therefore always open or close your shop, even without electricity.
Is the safety brake really compulsory?
Yes. On an electric shutter, an anti-fall device is required to stop the curtain crashing down if the shaft or motor fails. We fit it as standard and test it at every maintenance visit.
Central or tubular motor: which should I choose?
The central motor is the right answer for heavy curtains and intensive use; the tubular motor, more compact and economical, suits grilles and medium openings. Our technical survey settles the question from the exact curtain weight and the space available in the housing.
How long from quote to installation?
Allow two to three weeks for made-to-measure manufacture of the curtain and motorised shaft, then one day on site. If your shopfront is unsecured in the meantime, we fit a temporary closure.
Can the shutter open automatically on a timer?
Yes, with a programmable timer or a connected receiver: your shutter opens at a set time each morning and closes in the evening, with manual control always taking priority.