Building the Store: Reason for Excitement as a Store Takes Shape

BY EILEEN MCCLELLAND | Published in the April 2013 issue

PART 8 OF A SERIES that will cover the construction of the new Grogan Jewelers store in Florence, AL, from initial plans to a projected spring 2013 completion.

Jay Klos described February as the busiest month since the project started. Once the building began to take shape, finalizing all the little details and finishes began to seem more urgent.

All that activity and attention to detail culminated in a new phase that would mark significant progress — interior sheetrock work began on Feb. 26, and was projected to take three weeks from beginning to end. “We’re really getting excited now,” Klos says. “The sheetrock will make a big difference.”

CHALLENGES

Construction problems solved in February included a couple of pipes winding up in the wrong place for plumbing, which the contractor was fixing. February also involved a final check of all the electrical work before the sheetrock work could begin. Wiring had to be in place for cameras, stereo equipment, outlets, telephones, computers and the alarm system. All in all, glitches were minor.

DISPLAYS

Klos continued to ponder the purchase of in-case displays, weighing the attributes of three different companies and shooting for early March to make a decision. “That is the hardest thing to do,” he says. “It’s a lot of money; more than most people think going into it. We’ll spend over $30,000 just on the displays.” One consideration was whether the displays were imported or made in the U.S., since imports could take eight weeks, possibly slowing down the store’s projected April completion date.

Klos has also learned that when it comes to in-case displays, you get what you pay for. One reason it’s tough to commit is that he’s not been entirely satisfied with past choices.

“It’s so important to do really great looking displays. In my other store, we spent a fortune on the cases and we spent a pretty good amount on displays, but they were just so-so.”

TRAINING

Klos juggled construction concerns with a concerted effort to train his staff, both on new procedures and new merchandise. He planned to bring in manufacturers’ and designers’ reps to talk about new lines. He also planned to hold another staff meeting at the site on March 8. “We really need all our personnel trained and ready to go.”

VACATION

Meanwhile, Klos took a short break at the end of February to travel and recharge. “I need just a little break, every now and then,” he says.

THE TARGET

He continues to tell his contractors the project needs to be finished by April 1, but realistically he would be content with wrapping it all up at the end of April.