Relocating to a new retail facility is an exciting time for the store owners. A lot of advance work goes into promoting the upcoming location; signage or banners are placed strategically to create some buzz about the new store weeks in advance of the actual opening. Word is spread through advertising, flyers distributed in the neighbourhood and on social media. The goal is to generate a lot of foot traffic as soon as the store is up and ready to serve customers.

Every stage of store fixture moving must go like clockwork. The close down of the old location and the setup of the new location must be properly coordinated so there is minimum downtime. Delays in getting the new store open are very costly to the company’s bottom line.

Moving Store Fixtures

Hiring the right moving company is imperative. When moving store fixtures, you need a moving company whom has a commercial moving division and who are familiar with how to properly handle the many different types of store fixtures found in today’s retail environment. Companies like Premiere Van Lines have the equipment, expertise and personnel need to relocate items like:

  • Cash wrap Sales Counters
  • Inventory Gondolas
  • Display Cases
  • Display Tables
  • Showcases
  • Wall Display
  • Inventory Storage Shelving

Before a single item is prepared for moving you should prepare a detailed floor plan as to where everything is to be set up in the new store. If you are duplicating some of the same setup as you have in the old location then take lots of pictures. Since it is likely that the new space will be larger than you can also use these photos to help you create a new floor pan.

Working with Professionals

If you are working with a professional moving company like Premiere Van Lines, they will assign a move coordinator to work with you on pre-planning every aspect of the relocation. A schedule will be designed for the move out from the old location and the roll out at the new location. Premiere will assign the necessary number of personnel and the right pieces of equipment to get the job done quickly so as to minimize downtime.

All items must be properly packed for safe transport. Metal, wooden or plastic shelving must be disassembled then properly reassembled. Depending on the make of your store fixtures items like display cases and counter tops may also require disassembly and crating to protect glass. Display tables may also require the legs to be removed for transit and reassembled at the new location. All of your inventory will require packing and labelling.

Key to relocating store fixtures on schedule is to work with a moving company that will pre-plan the job and who has the necessary padding, decking equipment, cargo strapping, ramps and dollies. If your location does not have a loading dock then power lift gates are imperative to make loading and unloading timely and safe.

As you can see, store fixture moving is not a DIY project. For more information on store fixture moving, contact your local Premiere Van Lines office.