De-Branding A Store

There’s each day no operator anticipates – each day when certainly one of their stores closes for business. Whether it’s your main store or you’re the franchisor, which is your franchisees stores, closing an outlet may have a direct effect on the general brand. Even though it is no enjoyable situation, how youhandle the closing might have an affect on the rest of the stores as well as their brand.

I am certain that lots of have driven with a closed store that also has got the emblem signs intact along with other branding signs. It’s an eyesore, speaks poorly concerning the operation and gradually erodes the company value if left untouched. Whether an outlet is operational or otherwise, a decaying storefront is harmful. To be able to keep up with the integrity from the go-forward brand, one cannot simply lock the doorways and leave behind the shop. The way a franchisor or perhaps a multi-unit operator manages a de-branding may also be as critical as the way they run a grand opening.

Through the years, I’ve been part of many grand openings and regretfully, many store closures. While a great opening ranges from a “vanilla box” to some store within several weeks, a correctly de-branded store must move from a completely operational store to some “vanilla box” in under each day. Ultimately, an entire de-branding basically erases the shop in the retail landscape before clients are even aware. The faster it may be “from mind”, the betterment of the trademark moving forward. Some retailers even take mtss is a step further by de-branding at night time to reduce the observation from the process by customers.

NOTE: In some instances, an outlet closure might be “repositioned” and recognized as a “store moving” – directing existing people to the closest store with marketing and signs. This enables for that operator to retain existing customers and gradually migrate these to another store.

Store de-branding isn’t an easy process and usually an allocation of up to 40 to 60 man-hrs might be needed to correctly de-brand the shop (with respect to the store design and format). The aim would be to return both exterior and interior from the store to the original condition, so an effective de-branding process should contain the next:

Product inventory ought to be removed prior to the de-branding crew coming in addition to unplugging all equipment – this really is particular significant when the devices are refrigeration.

Plan a truck to reach the shop around the de-branding day-to take all equipment, safe, POS devices and furniture to preferred location.

Remove all signs on and in the outside of store. Inventory the types of materials.

Remove all equipment available. Inventory the types of materials.

Spackle all holes in walls.

Rough paint all walls within the store covering something that may convey the “image” of the trademark – including, although not restricted to: specific tile, paint colors, texture, shapes, etc.

Remove all wood floor and all sorts of tile flooring.

Remove all countertops and countertop bases.

Remove all lighting fixtures including, although not restricted to: fluorescents, wall washers, hanging bulbs, etc.

Remove all loudspeakers and audio system.