Preparing your shop for opening day

Fewer people are getting to experience the utter joy of opening a brick and mortar store. We are so consumed with being online, driving sales, sales funnels, and more that we often forget those people out there cutting the ribbon and having daily face to face exchanges.

Retail isn’t dying, but it is having to adapt to the pressure of modern technology and expectations. But, still, the excitement of opening a shop is a joyful moment and here are some tips on preparing your shop ready for the big day. 

Floor

This is a really critical thing, and you should always get experts like a resin flooring company to make sure that it is perfectly level, sturdy and will work for the amount of footfall that you are expecting. Floors can pose a significant risk when it comes to slips, trips, and falls, and the last thing you need is to be dealing with a claim within weeks of opening. 

Shop window

Many big chains will have people that they can contact who will arrive and dress the shop window to perfection. Think about Harrods over Christmas. Or Selfridge’s almost any time of year. It is meant to be eyecatching, enticing, and really speaking to your audience as they pass by. But there is a delicate balance between enticing people into the store and scaring them away.

So really think about who you are selling to and what message you want to get across. For example, if you sell trainers, but your window is filled with props like bags and bikes, people might get a mixed message. Keep your products as the star of the show always. 

Staff

If you are a one-person show, then it is all up to you to be polite and welcoming. Even on your worst day, you need to be easy to approach. You never know how much that person you didn’t answer or be helpful to might’ve spent with a little care.

If you have staff, you should hold them to a high standard. You don’t have to go with ‘the customer is always right’ because actually, they aren’t. But it pays off to have staff that is bubbly and helpful - and not intrusive. 

Fitting rooms

If you have a clothing store, then you should be prepared for the fact people are going to want to try clothing on. If the fitting room mirrors and lights are harsh and not well-angled, you are going to be consistently showing people at their worst.

Lighting that goes from the ceiling down has a habit of making people feel very self-conscious, and if that is the case, they won’t be buying what they are trying on. Research how to make fitting rooms an enjoyable experience. Happy people spend money - happily. 

Friends

On opening day, nerves and worry will creep in. Invite some friends and family along to support you. You don’t need to make a big fuss, and you shouldn’t alienate any customers who are also in the store, but having people you know there for a couple of minutes (or to help out) will be a big confidence boost for you. 

Enjoy the day. The most important thing is that something will go wrong, but if you enjoy the day, and remain as calm as possible, you will always remember it.