diff --git a/src/main/java/com/alttd/playershops/api/ShopHandler.java b/src/main/java/com/alttd/playershops/api/ShopHandler.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0d8685
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/alttd/playershops/api/ShopHandler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package com.alttd.playershops.api;
+
+import com.alttd.playershops.shop.AbstractShop;
+import org.bukkit.Location;
+import org.bukkit.Material;
+import org.bukkit.block.Block;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.UUID;
+
+public interface ShopHandler { // TODO finish docs
+
+    /**
+     * Get the shop at a given location
+     *
+     * @param location Location of the shop
+     * @return Shop at the given location or <b>null</b> if no shop is found there
+     */
+    AbstractShop getShop(Location location);
+
+    /**
+     * Checks whether there is a shop at a given location
+     * @param location Location to check
+     * @return Whether there is a shop at the given location
+     */
+    boolean isShop(Location location);
+
+    /**
+     * Get a collection of all loaded shops
+     *
+     * This collection is safe to use for looping over and removing shops.
+     *
+     * @return Read-only collection of all shops
+     */
+    Collection<AbstractShop> getShops();
+
+    /**
+     * Add a player's custom shop limit
+     *
+     * @param uuid The uuid linked to this player
+     * @param limit The new maximum amount of shops this player can have
+     */
+    void addPlayerLimit(UUID uuid, int limit);
+
+    /**
+     * Get the maximum amount of shops this player is allowed to have
+     *
+     * @param uuid The uuid linked to this player
+     * @return The limit of shops for this player
+     */
+     int getShopLimit(UUID uuid);
+
+    /**
+     * Checks wether this block is valid to be used as a shop
+     *
+     * @param block the block to check
+     * @return true if this block can be a shop
+     */
+     boolean isShopMaterial(Block block);
+
+    /**
+     * Get all the shops owned by a player
+     *
+     * @param uuid The uuid linked to this player
+     * @return List of shops this player owns
+     */
+    List<AbstractShop> getShops(UUID uuid);
+
+    ArrayList<Material> getShopMaterials();
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/alttd/playershops/handler/ShopHandler.java b/src/main/java/com/alttd/playershops/handler/ShopHandler.java
index b7bbd0a..8cdacb7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/alttd/playershops/handler/ShopHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/alttd/playershops/handler/ShopHandler.java
@@ -2,22 +2,97 @@ package com.alttd.playershops.handler;
 
 import com.alttd.playershops.PlayerShops;
 import com.alttd.playershops.config.Config;
+import com.alttd.playershops.shop.AbstractShop;
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.objects.Object2IntMap;
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.objects.Object2IntOpenHashMap;
 import lombok.Getter;
+import org.bukkit.Location;
+import org.bukkit.Material;
+import org.bukkit.Tag;
+import org.bukkit.block.Block;
+import org.bukkit.block.BlockFace;
 
-import java.util.UUID;
+import java.util.*;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 
-public class ShopHandler {
+public class ShopHandler implements com.alttd.playershops.api.ShopHandler {
 
     private final PlayerShops plugin;
     @Getter
     private final Object2IntMap<UUID> shopBuildLimits;
+    @Getter
+    private final Map<Location, AbstractShop> shopLocation;
+    @Getter
+    private final ArrayList<Material> shopMaterials;
 
     public ShopHandler(PlayerShops instance) {
         plugin = instance;
+        shopLocation = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
         shopBuildLimits = new Object2IntOpenHashMap<>();
         shopBuildLimits.defaultReturnValue(Config.shopLimit);
+        shopMaterials = new ArrayList<>(); // TODO move into parent method where materials are loaded in.
+    }
+
+    public AbstractShop getShop(Location location) {
+        Location newLocation = new Location(location.getWorld(), location.getBlockX(), location.getBlockY(), location.getBlockZ());
+
+        return shopLocation.get(newLocation);
+    }
+
+    public boolean isShop(Location location) {
+        return getShop(location) != null;
+    }
+
+    public Collection<AbstractShop> getShops() {
+        return Collections.unmodifiableCollection(shopLocation.values());
+    }
+
+    public void addPlayerLimit(UUID uuid, int limit) {
+        shopBuildLimits.put(uuid, limit);
+    }
+
+    public int getShopLimit(UUID uuid) {
+        return shopBuildLimits.getInt(uuid);
+    }
+
+    public void removeShops() {
+        shopLocation.clear();
+    }
+
+    public boolean isShopMaterial(Block block) {
+        if (Tag.SHULKER_BOXES.isTagged(block.getType())) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        return shopMaterials.contains(block.getType());
+    }
+
+    public List<AbstractShop> getShops(UUID uuid) {
+        List<AbstractShop> shops = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (AbstractShop shop : shopLocation.values()) {
+            if (shop.getOwnerUUID().equals(uuid))
+                shops.add(shop);
+        }
+        return shops;
+    }
+
+    public AbstractShop getShopBySignLocation(Location signLocation) {
+        for (AbstractShop shop : shopLocation.values()) {
+            if (shop.getSignLocation().equals(signLocation))
+                return shop;
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    public AbstractShop getShopNearBlock(Block block) {
+        BlockFace[] faces = {BlockFace.NORTH, BlockFace.SOUTH, BlockFace.EAST, BlockFace.WEST};
+        for (BlockFace face : faces) {
+            if (this.isShopMaterial(block.getRelative(face))) {
+                Block blockRelative = block.getRelative(face);
+                if (isShop(blockRelative.getLocation()))
+                    return getShop(blockRelative.getLocation());
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
     }
 
 }