7 Daily Must-Do’s Before Opening Your Retail Store

Steps to ensure every business day goes smoothly for your shop.

The way we begin each day can determine how the rest of it goes. Waking up refreshed and in a good mood, thanks for completing the required number of hours of sleep each night can go a long way in ensuring everything goes smoothly. Add to that having breakfast and a pleasant commute or drive to your workplace and you are sure to have a good mood as you begin your workday. 

For individuals, these daily habits help to start things off on the right track to ensure things will turn out well. While it is true that setbacks can be unavoidable at times, these rituals help put one in a relaxed mood making tackling challenges easier to manage. 

In the retail realm, there also exists daily must do’s that entrepreneurs must practice to ensure store operations start on a positive note and continues its good momentum the rest of the day. 

Before lighting up your store’s scrolling LED sign displays and switching the LED open signs to indicate you’re open for business, these are the actions you must take.

1. Do a safety inspection of the store premises.

Before stepping inside your store, you need to check for any signs of damage or forced entry to your doors or windows. Look also for damaged locks or knobs that indicate that your store was broken into. If you have CCTV, check to see they are working as they should. Once inside your establishment, you can view the footage captured on the cameras overnight. But before that, make sure to turn off your alarm system if you have one before entering your store. If, however, you noticed anything unusual, don’t come in just yet and instead find a safe place to call the police.

2. Clean up the retail space.

If all is well and you did not find anything unusual from your check then you may now begin your work day. But it’s not yet the time to start your store’s operations just yet

Your store must be presentable to the shoppers who will be strolling in your store’s doors, so watch out for any mess or spills. Make sure your store is spotless by sweeping the floor and dusting your shelves. You may need to do some vacuuming on the floor, curtains, or on the items on sale themselves. Check also that the items are located where they should be and do some rearranging for  out-of-place merchandise. Remember to also clean up dressing rooms or any other retail facilities that are frequented by customers.

At this point in time, you need to also assure the buying public that they will remain safe while shopping at your store. Don’t forget to turn on your air purifiers or any other devices you’re currently using for health reasons. Your hygiene stations where people can disinfect themselves before and after shopping need to be ready also and well stocked for the day.

3. Check your merchandise and displays.

Besides organizing your products and placing them in their assigned areas, you also need to make sure  you have enough stocks to display. If necessary, you may need to conduct a quick inventory check to review your shop’s stocks. Remember to fill up the shelves that need replenishing and don’t forget to check their tags and price displays. Check also that your sale signs aren’t falling apart and all bear the right prices.

4. Switch on your appliances and electronic devices.

… But first, check to see that they are all working as they should. From your point-of-sale system (cash registers, card readers, scanners, computers) to your appliances such as the aforementioned air purifier, as well as devices such as air conditioners, LED screens, and speakers ー you need to make sure they are in perfect condition for the entire shift. Run them for a quick check  and see that there are no issues before you use them for the day.

5. Review your promotional materials and make updates if needed.

Your advertisements need to reflect your existing promos accurately. This means you need to look out for outdated displays that need to be replaced. For businesses that feature different offerings daily, such as restaurants, you will need to update your signages and displays. This can easily be done in the case of programmable LED signs so remember to update the text on the digital screen.

6. Call your team for a staff catch-up before beginning the day.

This is the point in the work day where you have the opportunity to iron out kinks, review things, and give your staff the pep talk to inspire them for the day.

First of all, this is the time to give out staff assignments. This is also a  great opportunity for the manager and other team leaders to set targets for their staff.  A quick reminder of store policies during this point is also important, especially now that many businesses have set health and safety protocols for their establishment. Lastly, this is the best time to give the team a pep talk to help motivate them to work their best.

7. Make it a point to practice these pre-work day rituals to ensure the smooth operations of your business each day.

It helps to put these reminders in a checklist to make sure that nothing gets forgotten or overlooked. Keep up with these practices and you are sure to find yourself on the road to success.