How to lay out a Probably Stolen shop: display cases, counter flow, attractiveness, theft risk, storage placement and the best use of limited floor space.
Probably Stolen Display Cases and Shop Layout
A Probably Stolen shop is a sales floor and a security checkpoint at the same time. Customers browse what you display, but so do thieves, inspectors, and rival merchants. The layout decides how quickly you can serve, how attractive the shop looks, and how much of your valuable stock is exposed.
This guide covers display cases, counter flow, attractiveness, and the storage placement that keeps the shop from becoming a warehouse.
The three zones
Every shop layout has three functional zones:
- Window and display — the first thing customers see. It sells the shop's identity.
- Counter — the transaction zone. The customer and the item meet here.
- Storage and production — the back office. It feeds the display and keeps risky stock out of sight.
A common mistake is to fill the window with everything valuable. That raises the shop's appeal but also concentrates risk. A better pattern is a rotating window: one or two premium pieces, a themed selection, and a clear price signal.
What display actually does
Display affects two things: what customers notice and how attractive the shop feels. The Shiny achievement requires starting a day with 1,000 attractiveness, which confirms that attractiveness is a tracked stat. The exact formula is not published, but the design levers are visible:
| Lever | Effect | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Filled display | More items to browse | High |
| Premium items | Higher perceived value | High |
| Clean, uncluttered counter | Faster service | Medium |
| Themed selection | Better match to customer type | Medium |
| Lighting and decor | Attractiveness | Needs testing |
| Dirty or empty shop | Lower traffic | High |
Do not display what you cannot afford to lose. A stolen item in the window is evidence; a counterfeit in the window is a complaint waiting to happen.
Counter flow
The counter is the bottleneck. If the customer cannot reach it, the display does not matter. Keep the path from the door to the counter clear, and keep the counter surface free of clutter.
A practical flow:
- Customer enters and sees the window.
- Customer approaches the counter.
- You appraise the item or present the stock.
- The sale completes.
- The customer leaves; you restock the gap.
The Workshop mod Bargain Panel On The Left moves the bargaining UI to the left side, which some players find faster. It is a UI preference, not a layout requirement.
An empty slot is where the next trade goes. A completely full display forces you to shuffle stock mid-transaction, which is slower and easier to misclick.
Theft and shrinkage
High-value stock in the open is a target. The game's crime and customer systems mean a display is not a safe: it is a sales tool with a risk cost.
Practical rules:
- Keep the most valuable items behind the counter or in a locked case.
- Do not put contraband in the window.
- Rotate premium stock in for a short window, then return it to storage.
- Watch customers who linger without engaging.
- Keep the storage bay close enough to restock quickly, but not open to the sales floor.
The exact theft mechanic is not fully documented. Treat display as exposure, not as a guarantee of sale.
Layout for different shop types
| Shop type | Window | Counter | Back room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water and food | Cheap staples, clean bottles | Fast queue | Purifier and fridge |
| Chemistry | Finished vials only | Appraisal and negotiation | Lab and locked chemicals |
| Guns | One licensed showpiece | Permit and ammo | Safe storage |
| Luxury | Gold hands, wine, rare tech | Private viewing | High-security storage |
| Fence | Nothing obviously stolen | Quiet transactions | Hidden contraband |
The Fence layout is the most counter-intuitive: the window should look legitimate, while the real business happens away from it. A window full of stolen goods is a confession.
Attractiveness versus risk
Attractiveness brings customers; risk brings Security. The two are not opposites, but they pull in different directions.
A shop with a beautiful window and a clean record can afford more display. A shop with a criminal record should keep the window boring and the contraband hidden. The crime guide explains the investigation side.
Reputation also changes who responds to the display. A lower-level customer may be intimidated by a luxury window; an upper-level customer may be attracted by it. Match the window to your primary customer base.
Storage placement
Storage belongs near the counter but out of the customer's path. A storage bay behind the counter lets you restock in one movement; a storage bay across the shop turns every sale into a walk.
Keep three storage zones if space allows:
- Fast stock: water, food, common items.
- Valuable stock: gold hands, cartridges, modules.
- Restricted stock: chemicals, contraband, evidence.
Mixing them is how a routine inspection becomes a disaster. The storage guide covers the containers and mods.
When to expand the shop
Expand when the counter is the bottleneck, not when the shelves look empty. More display space without more customers just increases risk. More customers without more counter capacity creates a queue that leaves.
The best time to expand is when you have a stable product line, a cash buffer, and a clear customer base. The worst time is when rent is due and you are hoping a bigger window will save you.
FAQ
Do display cases increase sales? They increase what customers can see and browse. The exact sales effect depends on attractiveness, stock, and customer type.
Can customers steal from displays? The game has theft and crime systems, and display stock is exposed. Keep valuables secured.
What is the best item to put in the window? A premium item that matches your main customer base. For lower-level customers, a useful everyday item; for upper-level customers, a luxury piece.
Does layout affect the buyout? It affects sales and risk, which affect wealth. It is not a separate buyout requirement.
Community source: in-game shop layout and attractiveness stat, community reports, and the Steam Community guide hub ↗. Store reference: Probably Stolen ↗. Workshop example: Bargain Panel On The Left ↗.
Related
More Probably Stolen Guides
A complete Probably Stolen chemistry guide: blender loss, heating plate temperatures, chem finisher contamination, purity tiers and machine module math.
Probably Stolen chemistry recipes with temperatures, yields, purity targets and machine notes for Dream Dust, Nightmare Dust, caffeine and Phanta.
How crime, suspicion, wanted bounties, security records, fixers, and raids work in Probably Stolen, plus how to keep contraband out of a search.
How Probably Stolen customers work: lower and upper level buyers, security, black market, haggling, special requests, and how to match stock to demand.
Probably Stolen difficulty explained: Price Gouge, Mark Up and Thin Margins modifiers, rent increases, permit costs, reputation multipliers and Endless Mode.
Probably Stolen endings explained: the shop buyout win, the end-of-run stats screen, failure states, Endless Mode and what carries into a new run.
Step-by-step Probably Stolen mod installation: subscribing on Steam Workshop, enabling mods, load order, manual installs, updates, backups and uninstall.
A Probably Stolen items database with base values, authenticity risks and sources for hands, cartridges, food, chems, water, modules and contraband.