Delivering a successful retail rebrand programme

With recent consolidation and upheaval in the retail market many big brands have been facing up to the need to re-brand stores, refurbish existing stores en masse, or are finding themselves new owners of out-dated interiors. These hugely complex, geographically diverse projects present retailers with a multitude of headaches and challenges, from how to benefit from economies of scale, to preserving the customer experience and retail bottom line while the upheaval of a rebrand takes place.

Mace's retail team are experts in fast, efficient rebrand rollouts, having successfully delivered over 1,000 new stores for high street names in the last three years. In this article we share a few insider tips on how to make the programme work.

Build...

Build a model store

Every client's wishes to deliver a brand experience unique to them, and ensuring this is achieved is one of our central goals. By creating a model store at the beginning, both the client and contractors can agree what success looks like. The programme can then focus on how to deliver this many times, simultaneously, nationally. Beyond mere building and fit out, this model also provides an opportunity to define how staff will be trained in the new facilities, to carry out vital technological trials, and to benchmark the quality that must be supplied by every third party supplier. We define excellence, such that it can be delivered.

Define...

Define quality benchmarks

A programme's strength derives from not just its realism, but the real world quality it can deliver. That's the long-term value we deliver to clients. By defining vital quality benchmarks for every aspect of the finished premises, later disputes are avoided, and thus the likelihood of completion on time and budget is improved. We challenge all contractors and suppliers to exceed what the client has asked, remembering all the while that delighted customers are the real object of the exercise.

Engage...

Engage the people who matter

It's never just about the buildings or the facilities. The finished and improved environments will be a daily home to thousands of staff, who must be able to deal with customers the moment the new doors open, for this reason they need to be part of the process. Early and meaningful engagement with regional management and staff about the rebrand process, and related changes to their way of working and responsibilities need to handled with transparency and care.

Identify...

Identift every technological requirement

The modern retail environment may often look clean and minimal, or bright and simple, but there is likely to be a hugely complex roster of technical elements underneath. Large retail brands may wish to bring in a standard they use elsewhere in the world for some or other aspect. As one of the costliest parts of the fit out process, it's vital to prioritise the definition of every technical requirement and ensure they fit the client's long as well as near-term corporate goals. Retro-fitting technology is costly, inefficient and a danger to the programme.

Share...

Share knowledge and improvements

A successful programme is not a massive complex chart. It's a set of open, working relationships where communication is constant in both directions. Regular contractor workshops are central to ensuring best possible practices are shared across every store's rebrand. As programme managers we ensure the client is receiving the same quality of product and service across the many different contractors commissioned to deliver the rebrands around the country. They are then encouraged to share this knowledge and these improvements among each other, meaning savings to the bottom line and a speedier roll-out.