Grand Opening Checklist for your Retail Store To Succeed

I opened a shop with my brother in 2018. Afterwards it turned out that with better preparation we could get a lot more out of the start. That is why I am happy to share a complete grand opening checklist for retail shops on this page. It is not just about the grand opening event but also about how to maintain it for months and years to come.

Therefore, we will be discussing on some of the most important aspects of launching a new retail store in this article. We will also be providing you with a checklist that you can use to make sure your grand store opening goes smoothly and leaves an everlasting impression on your customers.

What does a store grand opening checklist entail?

Opening a store is a huge event in any retail company’s life and it requires lots of planning and preparation. This grand opening checklist can help you to prepare for the big day. It includes all the tasks that need to be completed before, during and after the opening.

1. Background checks

It is important to carry out various checks, especially after a renovation or at the start of a new store. The tasks of this checklist vary depending on whether it is an opening of a new store or an expansion of an existing one.

The first step in any opening process is to make sure that everything in the store has been checked and double-checked for any potential problems, such as leaks and electrical issues.

The next step would be to take care of all legal requirements like registering with local authorities and getting licenses to operate as per their laws. Once these are done, you can start focusing on the grand opening of your store and doing marketing campaigns.

Background checks examples:

With a grand opening you can create buzz around your new store and attract customers. Otherwise, you have an opening fail. What is a store opening without visitors, right? For this it is important to have a good plan in place before starting any marketing campaign. Also keep in mind what budget you have for the grand opening checklist, because you can go as crazy as you want,

Write and print your invitations. Make it special for the invitee to come. For example; ‘You are invited to experience our store as one of the first. We would like to welcom you to celebrate our grand store opening…’ What else do you put in the invitation:

Make it personal by putting your own name and the names of the team below it.

It’s amazing how people close by haven’t heard of you. Even if they pass by the new store every day. That is why it is important to give as much publicity as possible to the opening. So approach all possible press companies in the area. For example, the local newspaper, local blogs, websites and popular people on Social Media. Invite them to attend the grand store opening and ask if they would like to publish anything about it. What’s in a press release:

Have you already built an email list? This is the newsletter system that I currently recommend to retailers. It is essential to keep people informed via this (almost) free medium.

For example, send a ‘safe the date’ invitation 6 weeks in advance. After that you can send a message every week with the progress of the store and how much you like it. In this way you can trigger people to really come to the grand store opening and they can experience the process.

In addition, put on your checklist to keep posting on all Social Media channels as much as possible. This keeps them involved in the process and makes them want to come.

Make sure that people can visit your website before the opening to find more information. It all starts with the website hosting . You can then easily link to this in messages, press releases and newsletters. You will also come to the top of the search engine faster, so that your company can also be found online.

Put on the grand store opening checklist what you will do to promote the range. You can throw a party, but the best thing is if you earn something with this right from the start. Of course, every product has to have a price tag (an awful lot of work). So I can imagine that you don’t feel like optimizing the inventory for a while. Nevertheless, it is important to invest that extra hour in a great promotion for the grand opening. Examples of Products and Layout things on your grand store opening checklist:

This includes things like stocking shelves, setting up displays, and arranging merchandise. Once everything is set up and ready to go, it’s time for the big reveal!

Make sure all employees are ready for a beautiful day. Therefore, share the grand opening checklist for the retail store with them. It is important that everyone knows the program of the day and what actions there are. In addition, divide the tasks as well as possible, because you cannot do everything alone. Moreover, you also want to enjoy yourself a little

Use the pre-opening checklist to ensure that the day goes as smoothly as possible and is a success. You can and should do many things in the days before the grand store opening. For example:

Make sure you keep a schedule next to this list of when what happens. This way you avoid unpleasant surprises.

Finally the time has come. It’s the day that the entire team has been working towards for months, and it’s the first chance to show off all the hard work you have put into making this business successful. Yesterday you sent the last newsletter and posted on Social Media. Now it time to create the perfect store ambiance.

The day after. It must have been a success. There are still several things you can do to complete it perfectly. For example:

Start planning the store opening at least 6 months in advance. Especially if you are planning to change the interior, because a renovation takes a lot of time and the contractor is not always available immediately. In addition, finding the right products, informing the media and setting up campaigns requires a lot of attention. Furthermore, finding employees and making agreements with the government can also take time. So by starting on time, the grand store opening will be a day that you have been dreaming about.