5. Requirements for caterers
• Easy access to water
• Room for deep fat fryer
• 6 jugs with lids - Cat no.: 34-6983 (3 jugs for juices and 3 jugs for
flavoured water)
• Paper plates
• Disposable cutlery (Forks, spoons, knives and napkins)
• 3 trestle tables for buffet
• Plastic glasses
• Airpots
• Baskets/trays/bowls for welcome sweets (Cinnamon buns, Daim
bars and Swedish biscuits)
6. Shopping centre management
• Make initial contact with centre management
– TLG will have marketing contacts who you can contact in the first
instance
• Obtain key contacts within centre management
– Marketing Manager
– Security Manager
– Operation Manager
– Centre Manager/Assistant Centre Manager
7. Shopping centre management
• Discuss queuing issues and restrictions for the use of helium for the
balloon arch and take-away helium balloons
• Keep centre management updated on any changes of plan to the
opening day (date, location of the queue, celebrity etc.)
• Meet with centre management in person to run through the whole
opening day and experiential day and ease any concerns
8. Gift cards
• Head office will usually purchase 130 shopping centre gift cards to
the value of £10 each
• These are to be distributed to those who have helped with getting
the store ready for the opening (store staff, contractors, etc.), as a
thank you
• The gift cards will be given out to staff during the staff briefing before
the store opens but store management and head office
• To note:
– Once collected, they should be stored in the store’s cash office safe
– Ensure that the gift cards are valid for most, if not all, the retailers
(especially food retailers)
9. Site visits
Required – store floor plan to mark out the following:
q Champagne table (front of store by entrance)
q Coat rail location (front of store by entrance)
q Opening speeches (further in from champagne table)
q Dala horse display (next to speeches)
q Location for tea and coffee (Quick access to coffee percolators and
water urn required for quick replenishment of refreshments throughout
the day)
q Location for catering (Quick access to water required)
q Locations for opening offers (one location per category)
q DIY Demo (in Hardware)
q Radio in-store promotion (not required for all store openings)
10. Site visits
Other issues which need to be looked in to:
•Locate where the queue will be situated
•Meet with centre management to discuss queue locations and any
safety regulations that are to be adhered to.
•Find out about how to pay for 130 £10 gift cards for store staff
•Locate a small area for cooking the breakfast and area designated for
balloons
11. Design work
• Obtain exact dimensions for artwork for every promotional item to
ensure that it fits on the product
• Acceptable colours for promotional items
– Black background with white writing
– Pantone blue ref: 2915 (background) with white text
• Any artwork for promotional items should be handed over to
Jasmine (Designer) to ensure that branding is kept constant.
• All designs for promo items and clothing must be signed off by Mel
12. Projectionists
• Provide projectionists with the store postcode to ensure that they find
locations nearby with the most potential footfall
• Projectionist will set up the evening before the store opens to project the
image on to a wall/surface nearby promoting the store opening
• Jasmine (Designer) will create the artwork that will be projected on to the
side of the building.
13. Pre opening staff briefing
• Pre-briefing: Meet with team leader to assign staff to tasks on the
schedules
• Store staff, project team and head office team should all be in
attendance (If working that day)
• Head office team will outline the events for both opening day and the
experiential day
• Those members of staff with tasks will be informed during the
briefing
14. Pre opening staff briefing
• Thank you gift cards are handed out to staff at the briefing
• Those assigned tasks are to be individually briefed on what is
expected of them for both days
• Those staff who require additional training (tea and coffee duty)
should also undertake test runs to ensure that they are fully
prepared for all eventualities
15. Events for opening day
What is going on for the store opening day:
•VIP breakfast (local businesses, centre management staff, etc.)
•Speeches
•Dala horse presentations
•Opening day offers
•Swedish catering
•Tea, coffee, Swedish biscuits, Daim Bars and cinnamon buns for
customers
16. Photographer
• The photographer will be taking photos of:
– The empty shop
– Speeches
– Dala horse display
– Queue (pre-opening)
– Shop front/Window displays (pre-opening)
– Store staff (Victory Jump/Team photo)
– First customer
– Celebrity
– ABBA band
– Shoppers
– Branded taxi
17. Walkie Talkies
Staff to have walkie talkies:
•Store Manager
•Team leaders x 2
•Clas Ohlson Event Manager
•Mel
•Other head office marketing staff
•Leapfrog Event Manager
•Leapfrog Event Coordinator
Use the walkie talkies to remain in constant contact with all essential
members of staff.
18. Post opening day
• This is set aside primarily for:
– The set up of the experiential days events
– Debrief on how the opening day went
– Confirmation of requirements for ABBA band and DIY demo (Radio in-
store?)
– Briefing promo staff on promotion of the experiential day (handing out
the appropriate leaflet)
– Posters for the experiential day are to be put up on the opening day
19. Celebrity
• Find out if there is a back entrance to the store where the celebrity
can enter through and let TLG know (usually the loading area)
• Find out the drivers details (Car type and registration) to let centre
management know so the driver is not moved on whilst waiting
• The celebrity should have a 30 minute briefing with the PR company
and Clas Ohlson team (inc. Store Manager and Mel)
• A couple of members of the store team should be on hand to look
after him/her and also have photos taken
20. Experiential day
Events for the day include:
•ABBA Band
•Teas, coffees and Swedish Biscuits between 10am and 5pm
•Radio in-store promotion (Not for every store opening)
•In-store demonstration
•Celebrity
21. ABBA band
• Platinum ABBA – rider requirements
– Private and lockable dressing room with 8 chairs
– Coat rail
– Full length mirror and make-up mirror
– Easy access to wash & toilet facilities
– Ensure that there is security with band before and after performances
– Food (Inc. a selection of sandwiches (Veg option required), crisps and snacks,
tea & coffee making facilities, 2 bottles of red wine, 8 cans of quality larger, 12
cans of soft drink, 12 x 1 litre bottles of still mineral water, 2 cartons of orange
juice and a selection of fresh fruit.
22. Alternative ABBA band
• ABBA Sensation – rider requirements
– Private and lockable dressing room with 8 chairs
– Coat rail
– Full length mirror and make-up mirror
– Easy access to wash & toilet facilities
– Ensure that there is security with band before and after performances
– Food (Inc. a selection of sandiwiches (Veg option required), crisps and snacks
(Inc. Star Bars), hot and cold beverages and a selection of fresh fruit.
23. Balloons and Balloon Arches
• Check with centre management on restrictions on helium balloons
(some do not allow helium balloons but helium balloon arches are
allowed if they are tied down)
• Balloon arches are for the front of the store on opening day and also
for the ABBA band stage
24. Promo staff
• Promo staff are required for the week prior to the store opening to
give out flyers and catalogues as well as raise awareness and
excitement about the store opening
• On the day of the store opening
– Promo staff are needed from 7am to look after the queue and offer
refreshments as well as catalogues and information
– Two shifts for promo staff (7.30-3.30 and 10-6)
– Once the queue is gone, the staff should go about distributing leaflets
and catalogues in the shopping centre
25. Promo staff
• Promo staff are to wear the branded promo uniforms (or black
uniform if necessary)
• Promo staff should be split up to ensure maximum coverage of the
shopping centre
• Promo staff should schedule their breaks so that there is at least 2
(depending on numbers on specific day) in the shopping centre at all
times
26. Promo clothing
• Promotional clothing can be ordered through Logos 4 Polos (contact
in first slide)
• Items ordered include long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, gilets, caps,
woolly hats and exhibition bags
• If ordering items from a stock colour, ‘Carolina blue’ is the current
stock colour of promotional uniforms
• If there are no promotional uniforms. Staff should wear a black top,
black trousers and black trainers or shoes
27. Branded taxi and Ad-bike
• These will be dotted around the area prior to and after the store
opens
• Photos of the taxi outside the shopping centre (ask centre
management where it can park for 15mins for this)
• A member of staff for a photo opportunity is also welcome
28. DIY Demo
• Guy Burtenshaw
• The demonstrator will require (depending on what is being
demonstrated):
– 1 trestle table
– 1 work bench
– Product being demonstrated
– Any extra items for the demo (screws, etc.)
29. Learning's from previous store openings
Merry Hill
– Briefing/Staffing/Ceremonies
•Those on balloon duty must stick to it throughout the opening days
•Put up the brief with list of staff names next to jobs in the canteen
•Early starts are required for those on balloons and tea and coffee (7am)
•Interact with store staff (sweepstake on queue numbers)
•Consider a PA system if the shop front is too noisy with shoppers outside
– Catering
•Ensure people on champagne duty also collect champagne flutes as well as a tray
service for guests
•Once the store is open. Staff are to return to their normal store duties immediately
•Management to assist with handing out Dala horses
•Consider plating the food directly on to plates
•Caterers to assist with cleaning up after service
– Promo staff
•Promo staff to wear all black (with exception of branded promo clothing)
30. Learning's from previous store openings
Merry Hill
•Promo staff to split up individually
•Conduct assessment of team leader
•Use the same staff on day prior to opening and opening day (where possible)
•Conduct a clear briefing with promo team
•Early start for opening day (7.30am)
•Return uniforms daily and store them away from regular store staff
– Queues/Other
•All teams to be briefed (Inc. promo team)
•Saturday events poster to be put up immediately on opening day
•Spare opening day POS to be put up if extra pallet of stock put out to fill opening day
offer gaps elsewhere on the shop floor
•Clear direction for staff needed (1 DVD player per paying customer)
•Up-selling in the queue and walk the queue and provide receipt and change to those
only buying the DVD player and paying cash
31. Learning's from previous store openings
Cardiff/Doncaster/Norwich
•Gift cards should only be organised by the event manager for that particular event (to
avoid the Doncaster situation)
•All deliveries should be scheduled for a minimum of 1 week prior to the event to avoid
deliveries not arriving on time
•Schedules should include arrival times of suppliers with contact details and requirements
•Details of any arrangements made with councils or centre management re: ABBA. This
can be produced when neighboring shops complain and they have to take it up with them
•Minutes of meetings with council and centre management should be taken and
distributed
•Test any hire equipment prior to relocating onsite
•Have final meeting with centre management to ensure that they are happy with
arrangements or iron out any grievances that may exist
