Store Improvements: Remodels, Refreshes and More

Whether it’s a complete remodel or just a refresh, retailers have a variety of options — and decisions to make — when it comes to updating their store interiors. BrandPoint Services’ Steve Hearon talked with Chain Store Age about store update programs.



What are some of the most common mistakes retailers make when undertaking a refresh, remodel or rebranding program?

The primary mistake retailers make is not having a clearly defined scope of work, which often leads to misunderstandings, complications and a prolonged time line. Another mistake is not getting the site surveyed or using old survey data that is incorrect.



Lastly, not having the store manager onboard to the scope of work corporate has identified. If crews survey the site in the quoting process, there is an opportunity to engage with the store manager prior to the start of the project to set expectations, as well as address concerns outside the scope of work.



What is the optimum time that should elapse between refresh or remodels?

Retailers should plan on refreshing high-traffic areas every three years, before visitors notice the environment looking shabby. And they should plan on remodeling their locations every five to seven years.



Ideally, retailers should look to remodel when leases renew and retailers can get landlord participation, or when the brand imaging changes.



Are you seeing an uptick in remodels and refreshes these days?

Yes, we have seen steadily increasing activity for the last 18 months. Many of our clients are investing in making their stores look clean and modern for their customers.



Do most stores stay open during the process?

Yes, we are almost always able to keep the stores open, as the majority of our work is done after hours.



What services does BrandPoint offer retailers?

BrandPoint Services manages multi-site refresh programs, requiring painting, flooring, graphics, decor and general repair services across the United States and Canada. We work with some of the largest national retail, healthcare and banking brands, as well as their facility managers and general contractors. We are multi-site rollout experts.



How do you work with retailers to stay open during a refresh/remodel project?

We typically work overnights, cleaning up daily so that the store can operate during business hours. We will work with clients to develop a phasing plan to the store so they can properly allocate the necessary store employees each night to demerchandise. Our crews are well-versed in retail work and know how to keep a store clean so merchandise can be put back in place quickly to get the store open on time each day.



When we are asked to work during retail hours, we stage the work to minimize the impact to the environment and customers, as well as block off the area as designated by our clients.



How does BrandPoint handle multi-site rollouts?

We have a staff that specializes in refresh project and program rollouts, offering a single point of contact with trades and accounting.



Multi-site rollouts require a significant amount of pre-planning, including coordination of schedules, vetting and approval of vendors. BrandPoint Services partners with our clients to ensure understanding of scope of work, articulating it to teams and crews to ensure a successful launch, as well as revisions along the way.



As we finalize jobs, we ensure there is a back-end process in place to gather the necessary documentation from the field to close down jobs with both the customer and the accounting systems so that clients receive timely invoices.



In addition, we give portability to best practice methods to multi-location scopes of work. Trade networks and company Enterprise Resource Planning systems have been vetted and designed to handle the unique issues of rollout initiatives efficiently and in the most cost-effective way.



BrandPoint Services’ vast network of painters is the largest in North America, allowing us to roll out entire programs in a short period of time. In the past 12 months, we have worked on nearly 4,000 retail locations.