 |
US $24.99
Mannequin Hand Review
The Challenges Of Opening And Fitting Out Your New Retail Store
Fitting out a new shop has many challenges - and right to the moment when you finally open your doors for business, it can be a stressful and expensive exercise as you juggles budgets, deadlines and random events conspiring against you. Even the best planned shop fitout will have things go wrong - it only takes one small event to trigger a snowball of misfortune and bad luck! The tradesman doing your floor could run over schedule, which then means your shop-fitter has to reschedule, and before you know it, your original opening date blows out. Or your shop mannequins could be stuck in a freight depot in Sydney, when your shop is in Brisbane - events like this are out of your control.
So, the first piece of advice is to build some time or slush into your fitout project to allow for problems like this. Don't expect everything to go perfectly to plan, because most likely, your plans are going to need to adapt to circumstances as your shop fitout project progresses.
Freight especially can be a real X factor - especially if you are fitting out a shop in a newly opening shopping centre or mall - the days leading up to a major opening like this are chaotic - and many freight companies can be unreliable in delivering your shop fittings to your store - don't be surprised how often a delivery driver will simply decide this delivery is just too hard, and take your delivery back to the depot. Make sure you get the freight company consignment note details from your shop fittings supplier, and be pro-active about chasing your orders up - don't wait until 3pm on the day before opening to wonder where your order is - chase it up early, and regularly until the order is delivered to you.To save costs, do as much of the work as you are able to - of course hire experienced contractors to handle things like electrical work and anything else outside your level of ability, but other things, like putting the wall posts up in your shop and painting for example are surprisingly simple to do as long as you do your homework first and use the right materials. And make sure you ask the company you are buying your shopfittings from for advice, and ask for instructions for the products you are buying if they come in flatpacked form. Also ask them if they can recommend a shop fitter if you need one - the good companies will be able to make a good recommendation for you.
Beware of the "online only" shop fittings suppliers - those without a bricks and mortar shopfront themselves, whose after sales service is notoriously fickle. A good rule of thumb is, if you can't call them and you can't visit them, proceed with caution - its when something goes wrong with your fitout that the relationship you have built with your shop fittings supplier is most crucial. Its also the time where the better companies in the industry stand out.
Prioritise where your money goes - if your budget is tight - spend your money on the shop fitting and display products that will generate the quickest return and that are in your customers direct line of sight. If you can find quality second hand shop fittings or mannequins, and they are in a condition that won't dilute your shop's image - consider that option if funds are scarce - and from that point designate a certain percentage of profits into re-investing in your shop fittings and mannequins as your revenue picks up.
And lastly, as with all major projects, be pro-active - politely follow up with your suppliers and contractors, and if something or someone does not arrive at the time you expect it to, chase it up immediately and early in the day.
About the Author