Top-level fashion retail
A while ago, we were contacted by a leading fashion retailer with over 100 stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. The company boasts excellent results and is managed seamlessly, but felt the need to have its wide network of diverse shops audited to always be one step ahead of its competitors.
Following several in-depth discussions, we set to work, assigning specific tasks, formulating expectations, and elaborating a procedure. The client was mainly interested in a thorough audit of all shops to get a better insight into the costs they would inevitably be faced with in the future. This marked the start of an intensive collaboration.
Concrete points of attention
We visited every shop separately, carried out an audit and drew up a report for every branch. This was the best course of action, given the high level of diversity in this retail network. No data could be extrapolated because each and every shop is so different. Some are old buildings, while others are brand-new. Moreover, their surface area and infrastructure are also drastically different.
We kicked off with an inventory and condition assessment of all the elements on site, including architectural elements, infrastructure, land, heat generation and output, ventilation, lighting, electrical and plumbing installations. This gave our client a perfect overview of the current status of the branches and showed the maintenance each element required. We then drew up a set of recommendations to replace specific elements with more efficient and affordable options. We drafted a maintenance plan for each shop covering a 25-year period, clearly listing all the maintenance, repair, and replacement costs.
A job well done
While carrying out this assignment, we spared no effort. An example of our commitment? We contacted all the suppliers of the separate components to get correct and up-to-date pricing information.
The client was extremely satisfied with our approach, our no-nonsense reporting, and the concrete usefulness of our recommendations. This resulted in a second assignment, in which we focused on the company’s headquarters and warehouse.
