How to Evaluate Your Store’s Performance in the First 12 Months
Opening a store is one thing—knowing if it’s actually working is another. A new store’s first year is full of unknowns, fluctuations, and learning curves. The key is to analyze what’s working, what’s not, and where to pivot before it’s too late. Here’s how to diagnose performance, adjust expectations, and shift from pro forma to…...
Retail Store Buildouts: The Punch List
A punch list is your final quality control checkpoint before opening your store. It’s a list of unfinished work, defects, or minor issues that need to be corrected before the project is fully complete. But here’s the reality: There will always be imperfections. The key is knowing what must be fixed now and what can…...
Managing Store Buildout Timelines & Budgets
How to Keep Your Store’s 10-12 Week Construction Schedule On Time & On Budget Retail store construction typically runs 10-12 weeks from lease signing to grand opening. Delays are common, but preventable—the key is clear milestones, tight coordination, and strong project management. Here’s a week-by-week breakdown of a typical retail store construction timeline, plus tips…...
Value Engineering a Store Buildout
Building out a retail store is expensive, but not every dollar is equally important. Value engineering is the art of cutting costs without sacrificing functionality, customer experience, or brand integrity. Here’s how to strategically reduce expenses across construction, millwork, and key materials—while still opening a beautiful, high-performing store. 1️⃣ Understand Where the Money Goes Before…...
Store Design: The Employee Experience
Most brands obsess over customer experience when designing a store—but what about your employees? A well-designed store makes it easier to work, sell, and stay productive, which leads to happier employees, lower turnover, and better sales. Here’s how to map out your store’s design with employee experience at the core. 1️⃣ Start with the Employee…...
