Daily Store Opening checklist: Download PDF Free - Pazo

What to Do Before Opening Your Retail Store

There are several things you should do in your retail store on a daily basis to keep it running well.

That is why we have created a checklist with a list of daily tasks you should be performing during your retail store opening. Examine them and determine if you can implement them into your shopping routines.

Retail Store Opening Checklist

Create a retail store opening checklist to get your day started on the right foot. Outlining the roles will make the process smoother, whether you, a store manager or a sales associate are in charge of checking these items off the list.

Begin with this checklist and, if required, modify it to fit your retail location.

You can use software and take pictures for each of these steps to ensure all the safety checks and other steps are done correctly, and you even have visual data of the inspection from every day at one place.

1.Security and safety audit

Retail robberies are more common between the hours of opening and closing. As a result, when you open your retail store, you need to always have at least two people there.

Check that nothing (from the outside) appears odd before entering the store.

Have the following questions in your daily store opening checklist for safety:

• Are any windows broken?
• Are there any odd automobiles or individuals in the area?
• Do you suspect a break-in?

If the response is yes to any of the above questions, don't enter the store. Return to your car or a safe location and dial 911.

If everything appears to be normal proceed to the next step.

2.Opening check and housekeeping

Next, turn on all the lights and conduct an examination to ensure that there are no problems and that the closing personnel completed all of the checklist items from the night before.

Take the following steps:

• Keep an eye out for moist areas on the floor, ceiling, and walls. These could be symptoms of a plumbing, heating, or cooling problem.
• Look for evidence of vermin or bugs. If there is a problem, contact an exterminator.
• Perform general cleaning, such as sweeping the floor, ensuring that the fitting rooms are ready for customers, and washing your windows. You may also generate a list of places that need to be improved and distribute it to your cleaning crew (or closing staff from the night before).

3.Turn on electronic devices

Before you open your doors to customers, make sure the following electronics are turned on and working properly:

• A POS (point of sale) system. Are your gear and retail operations software in good working order?
• Televisions, stereo systems, and air conditioning. Are they all turned on and operational?
• Tills/cash registers Check that your cash register is balanced and that you have adequate cash on hand to provide change to customers who pay with cash.
• Traffic monitoring software. Check that any people-counting software you're using to track foot traffic is turned on and operational.
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4.Storefront and signage

Whether your retail store is in a standalone building or a shopping mall, you'll want to make sure its storefront draws attention.

Complete the following tasks:

• Check that all signage is correct, and remove any signage from the day before if it is no longer needed.
• Ensure that your window displays are appealing and reflect the most recent products you have in stock.
• Install your sidewalk sign and update the messaging.
• Keep your storefront clean and neat by cleaning down the glass and vacuuming the walkway.

5.Visual marketing

Now that you've ensured that all of the necessities for the day’s operations are in place, it's important to ensure that your store is visually appealing and that customers easily find what they're searching for.

Prepare for customers by completing the following tasks:

• Organize the shelves and product displays.
• Unpack fresh merchandise so that it is visible to customers, and if necessary, steam or press it.
• Ensure that the appropriate amount of stock is on the floor (i.e., the necessary number of SKUs per style)—this will vary depending on your store layout.
• Properly dress the mannequins.
• Ensure that all products are labeled with size, price, and, if available, special pricing.

Do inventory counts for daily stock-taking, commonly known as cycle counting—a way of counting a small number of goods every day.

6.Team meeting

Hold a daily team huddle before you begin engaging with clients to inspire your staff, motivate them to meet their sales goals, and ensure everyone has the knowledge they need to do their best. Using a retail task management software like Pazo can be very beneficial to distribute tasks to your team.

• Review shifts and individual and team obligations during your daily staff meeting to ensure each colleague understands what they're responsible for.
• Go over daily and weekly sales targets and discuss what each associate can do to help meet them.
• Recap the previous day's performance, including sales figures and good and negative customer encounters.
• Discuss how you can improve today and invite your colleagues to submit comments.
• Examine best practices in health and safety.
• Examine current promotions and methods to increase awareness of them and suggest selling strategies for your team to explore.

Use a smart checklist

Smart checklist feature from platforms like Pazo enables you to display and manage all of the tasks automatically in this store opening checklist. It enables you to follow progress through statuses, assign these tasks to your employees in the event that you are unavailable, and track if your daily store opening checklist is followed correctly or not.

A smart checklist will enable you to go from individual checklists with little visibility to a system in which checklists are standardized, tracked, and easily reported on.

Success isn't always the consequence of a single brave step or significant event. Success is the result of little actions taken repeatedly over time. Most of these acts are simple or fundamental best practices, but if done regularly, they compound and contribute to improved outcomes in the long run.

Conclusion

Use this retail store daily checklist to your advantage. Strong habits practiced by management, colleagues, and cashiers are the foundation of retail success. The suggestions raised above should have inspired you to establish improved daily procedures in your shop.

Pazo is a Task Management software/tool for Retail Chains and Facility Managers’ daily operations. Contact us to know more!