Retail Toolkit
Store opening checklist: from signed lease to first trading day
A phased checklist covering legal, fit-out, systems, stock, staffing and launch, written for opening a store in an Asian market where permits and landlord approvals set the timeline.
Guide 1 of 9 · 9 min read · Updated 1 August 2026
Most delayed store openings are traced back to the same three causes: a permit that needed a document nobody owned, a landlord approval step that was not in the plan, and stock that arrived after the fit-out was finished. This checklist is ordered by dependency so those three do not happen.
Use it as a working document. Phase durations vary by market; the sequence rarely does.
Phase 1, Legal and lease (before anything is built)
- Signed lease with fit-out period, rent commencement date and turnover-rent terms confirmed in writing.
- Local entity registered and tax registration complete, including any retail-specific licence.
- Business permits identified per market, with lead times documented and owners assigned.
- Fire safety, signage and, where relevant, food-handling permits started, these are usually the long poles.
- Insurance in place: public liability, stock, business interruption, and any landlord-mandated cover.
Phase 2, Design and fit-out approvals
- Design pack submitted to the landlord and formally approved; keep the approval, not just the email.
- Contractor appointed with a fixed programme, penalties and a named site manager.
- Mechanical, electrical and data drawings reconciled with the point-of-sale and network plan.
- Accessibility, fire egress and shopfront line checked against the mall's tenant handbook.
- Site handover date confirmed and a weekly site meeting scheduled from day one.
Phase 3, Systems and payments
- Point of sale configured with local tax rules, receipt requirements and language.
- Payment acceptance live and tested: cards, QR wallets used locally, and any mall gift-card scheme.
- Network and back-up connectivity installed and tested under load, not just switched on.
- Inventory system location created; store included in replenishment and stock-count schedules.
- Loyalty programme, e-receipts and customer data capture tested end to end for privacy compliance.
Phase 4, Stock and merchandising
- Opening order placed with delivery dated to arrive after fit-out completion and before merchandising week.
- Planogram and visual merchandising guide issued, with a fallback for late deliveries.
- Pricing and promotional signage produced in the required local language.
- Security tagging, back-of-house layout and stockroom capacity confirmed.
- Full opening count completed and reconciled before trading, not after.
Phase 5, People
- Store manager hired well ahead of the team; they should recruit the rest.
- Employment contracts, statutory registrations and payroll set up and tested with a dry run.
- Product, service and system training delivered on site, with a mock trading day.
- Rosters built for opening week at higher-than-steady-state cover.
- Cash handling, opening and closing procedures documented and signed off.
Phase 6, Launch and the first month
- Google Business Profile, mall directory listing, website store locator and map data updated.
- Local launch activity agreed with the landlord's marketing team; malls often co-fund.
- Press and community outreach scheduled, with photography booked before opening day.
- Daily trading review for the first two weeks: conversion, transaction value, queue times, stock gaps.
- Thirty-day review against the pre-opening model, with actions on range, hours and staffing.
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