Whether you are opening a new retail business or you’re gearing-up to promote a new product line, the big question is – when do I need purchase the necessary store fixtures and displays?
As a fixture company, the one thing we experience all too commonly is that business owners focus perhaps too much attention on products and consider merchandising as an afterthought. Many times a store owner, interior designer/planner neglects to order the necessary displays until their grand opening is literally bearing down upon them – frequently three weeks or less is allowed which is not an adequate amount of time for ordering the most essential part of the commercial enterprise; the equipment for visual merchandising and stock organization… the fixtures. It is important to have a clear understanding of which equipment will be required to promote certain types of merchandise and how it should be presented to the consumer. All this must be done well in advance of the opening and time allotted to fine-tune the plan.
Companies that supply store fixtures may often sell out of their most popular items and it can take up to 3 months to restock these items. Made-to-order or custom items can take between 3 and 8 weeks for production and transportation time must also be taken into consideration. When transporting items via freight, there is no such thing as over-night or rush shipping as these items which are usually crated or secured to a pallet must be moved with extreme care and trans-shipped from depot to depot until reaching their final destination. This process will add an additional 5-7 business days to your shipment – and, if your business is located in a remote location or an area not serviced daily by the freight companies, you should add at least 4 extra days to your expected delivery time. This is not the case for stores located in larger metro areas.
When ordering fixtures, displays and showcases, it is advisable to order items 2-3 months in advance. If your storefront isn’t ready to receive your delivery, consider renting a nearby storage unit to house your displays until you are ready to install them. This will take some extra coordinating and you may need to hire someone to move the fixtures to your location once it is ready – it is worth having all of the necessary fixtures on hand and ready when you need them. Opening a new business can be very stressful so this can help you avoid a few extra grey hairs and the loss of potential sales because your exquisitely selected stock cannot be displayed! It must also be taken into account that a large proportion of ‘off the rack’ store displays are shipped un-assembled and will require assembly.
Note – if items are delivered to a storage location, it is necessary to have someone at the location to receive the delivery and thoroughly inspect your shipment prior to signing the drivers paperwork. Freight drivers don’t have a lot of time to wait while each package is inspected, but any dings, nicks or tears in the packaging is a pretty good indicator that there may have been some careless handling of the packages. This is very important, fixture companies won’t replace damaged item unless the word “damaged” is written on the drivers paperwork at the time of the delivery. It is advisable to have extra help at the location when your shipment arrives. It is up to you to monitor, track and contact the freight company regarding your delivery and not the responsibility of the fixture company.
Freight shipments cannot be delivered to a residential address.
