Overview
After your Grand Opening Event has come and gone, be sure to show your appreciation to those who have provided their time to make the Grand Opening a success.
See the New Store Opening Guide for the comprehensive approach to this topic.
Details
Think about all the folks that helped you pull off your Grand Opening and Grand Opening event… we bet there is a laundry list!
The list could include (but is not limited to):
- Contractors
- Building Manager
- Local City Officials
- Members of the Media
- Charity Partner
- Local Celebrities / Dignitaries
While we’re sure you said your verbal thanks (and perhaps monetary thanks, as appropriate) to all these people, it can make a big impact to send them off with a little something extra. Depending on the nature of your business, you could prepare a little gift basket for each recipient, filled with goodies from your store, or a gift card for them to use on their next visit.
When selecting the “thank you” gift, it can be tempting to give away every piece of branded merchandise you have. However, you want to be sure your gift is an item (or items) of value, not just little things that will sit around their office or house and eventually get tossed out.
Here are some ideas to get you going:
Coffee Shop: branded mug, whole bean coffee, gift card for future in-store purchases
Bakery: branded t-shirt or mug, and gift certificate for a dozen pastries
Restaurant: branded t-shirt or hat, and a gift certificate for lunch or dinner for two
Retail Shop: create a theme basket based on the season or other special topic (i.e. a wine shop could do a basket with dark chocolate, red wine and a warm-scented candle for a cozy night in).
