Handy Tips for a Shop Refurbishment

Posted On: August 22, 2022 By: jodee

There comes a time when you have to undergo a shop refurbishment. Maybe you are changing direction, perhaps you have saved up some cash after opening on a shoestring or it could be that you just fancy a change of look to keep things fresh. Whatever the reason for going through the process, there is a lot to consider and plan, and it can seem overwhelming at first. But with a few tips to make a refurb easier, you can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel and you can start to look forward to the brand new beginning rather than just dreading the disruption. This article explores some handy tips for a shop refurbishment that will help you create the new space you want.

Tips for a Shop Refurbishment

1. Plan the new look carefully

Your refurb will usually require you to close for an amount of time. This means that you need to make sure that you know exactly what you want from the new look of your shop. It is no good stripping everything out and then thinking about what you want to achieve.

Take some time to plan the new look of the shop, including the layout, paint colours, new features and more. This means that you will be ready to set to work as soon as you shut the doors for the refurbishment.

Think about what customers want, what they need and what they tell you are the drawbacks of your current set-up. Consider the problems shoppers in your niche have and work out how you will solve them and make life as easy for them when you reopen.

2. Set a schedule

Connected to knowing what you want from your new shop, you also need to know exactly how and when you will make it happen. Having a schedule of what needs doing and by when keeps you accountable during the process and shows you whether you are ahead of or behind time.

But it also lets you give your customers an idea of when you intend to open again. You don’t want to leave your biggest supporters in the lurch because they may drift off elsewhere. If they know you’re due to open on a certain day, they can start to get excited and it keeps your shop in their minds.

3. Set a budget

We would love to be able to let our imaginations run wild when we design our shops. But that is not possible, so fix yourself a budget and stick to it. Only you know how much you can afford to spend. That is based on your current cashflow and possibly also on the increased revenue or decreased costs that your new design will bring. But be realistic. Can you prove that you will be able to achieve these additional sales and savings? What are you using to make these estimates?

4. Boost your online offering

The chances are that you already do some selling online already. However, this is even more important when your physical store is closed. Before you shut for your shop refurb, make sure you encourage your customers to check in with you online during your closed period. Maybe even offer them a voucher to spend on your online shop.

Your social media is important too. People love a look behind the scenes, so track the progress of your refurb and keep them in the loop.

5. Source your new fixtures and fittings the easy way

A shop refurbishment means bringing in new fixtures and fittings to revamp the look of your shop. Although this should be exciting, it can actually be a time-consuming and often costly exercise. You also have the stress of ordering the items and worrying about them coming before you are ready to fit them in your shop.

This is why The Retail Factory designed Source, Store, Deliver. We design you a bespoke order pad of shop fittings that is based on your exact requirements. We also store them in our warehouse for you until you are ready for them. Give us a date and we will deliver. If you have to push it back, that’s no problem. We will hold on to them until you are ready.

We put together your order from more than 5,000 shop items, such as mannequins and garment rails, and we can even supply more than 35,000 office and back of house items, from kettles to first aid kits!

We send everything you need for your shop refurb on a pallet and you get a single invoice to deal with, cutting admin at your end when you’re already busy enough.

Check out the Source, Store, Deliver page for more information or call us on 0800 022 3237 today to talk about your requirements.