Retail Delivery/Install Guides - What they are and why you need one

We do lots of vendor shops (see Vendor Shop article - Dec. 18th 2015), and we've seen everything there is to see as far as Department Stores go. Our agents have years of experience across North America and Europe in various urban and suburban locations. I personally have stories: once I completed a survey in Paris's stunning Galeries Lafayette Haussmann alone overnight. In Acapulco I was greeted at the employee entrance by a man with a machine-gun (fairly standard in some parts of Mexico, unfortunately). I once completed a survey in a store that was still being built (with no roof at the time). These oddities aside, there are plenty of other details that make each store unique, especially in older urban areas.

Now a set of as-built drawings will save you money and hassle in terms of design, but there are other ways a shop remodel can go awry. Delivery and installation can also be affected by bad information, or a lack of information. A remodel rollout is logistically complex and requires that all aspects fall into place. Delays mean increased cost and lost sales while a shop is under construction, and chaos to a tight schedule. Often the window for delivery and install is a mere few hours before the store is open.

Your shop can be delayed by a few of the following reasons:

1. The install crew doesn't have the proper paperwork or clearance to perform the work (store policy, local union rules, government labour laws or visa requirements).

2. The receiving area is not ready for delivery and has nowhere to store the fixtures temporarily.

3. There is no dock and the truck needed to be equipped with a power lift-gate.

4. There are no truck deliveries allowed downtown at the time of arrival.

5. The stores policy is that vendors dispose of their own fixtures and waste, but there is no time for disposal or room on the truck.

6. The delivery truck is too tall and cannot fit in the receiving area.

Just a few examples listed, but there are many more potential pitfalls.

Delivery/Install guides are at the heart of what an Asset Reconnaissance Agent does… we are on your site months before installation or renovation. If you were onsite, what questions would you ask? Who would you like to talk to? What other information would help to ensure that everything works smoothly for your project? ARI agents are trained to know what to look for when onsite and what questions to ask, so that clients are not responsible for foreseeing every risk. And we put together a customized report that is your playbook to delivery and installation success!

Click here for an example ARI Delivery/Install Guide PDF.