A major UK supermarket chain was rebranding all its stores and asked AB Group to carry out the work on one of its local convenience stores in York. Following a fixed scope of works, we were asked to update the store to the current specification, which included making some internal alterations as well as rebranding the exterior.
The store had some residential properties above, which we notified of the works with a residents letter. No issues were raised. The work took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring us to comply to 2m distancing, wearing of face coverings, regular hand washing and sanitising and temperature checks. All operatives and visitors to the site were briefed on all these procedures.
We managed all operatives and suppliers involved in rebranding the store. This included decorative work in-store, refurbishment of kiosks and sales floor cabinets, including a new bump rail and respray, redecoration of colleague areas, including new shelving in the toilet and a new work surface in the canteen area, a new entrance mat, updated internal signage and an external jet wash.
Some of this work was outside the original scope but we were able to pick it up and make sure it was completed to a high standard.
When the work was complete, we arranged a walk around with the Store Manager to draw up a snagging list. This list was attended to by the contractors the same day. The client’s Area Manager came to inspect the store the following day and sent us a final list of snags, which again we rectified the same day, prompting him to remark, “Wow – you don’t hang about do you!”
The work was carried out quickly and efficiently, some of it at night, causing minimal disruption to customers and enabling the store to be transformed with a minimum of downtime. A popular local shop that had started to look tired was given a thorough facelift, making it a more appealing place for customers to shop and for colleagues to work, and keeping it on brand with the chain nationwide.
When a retail store refreshes its branding, the new look and feel has to be rolled out more or less over night. AB Group has the capabilities and understanding of the sector to be trusted with implementing rebrands for individual stores, making sure all contractors and materials are on-site when they should be to enable a smooth workflow, and ensuring a high standard of work and finish is achieved on time and on budget.
