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HOW TO REMODEL YOUR LEGACY C-STORE FOR LESS

December 12, 2018 by Steven Cohen – Refreshing, remodeling and upgrading legacy convenience stores doesn’t have to be costly or overly complicated.

When Convenience Retail University (CRU) asked c-store retailer attendees about changes they planned on making to their businesses, 72 percent mentioned remodeling and refreshing their stores.

On The Fly fountain soda

In the first four months of 2023, more 3,000 stores changed hands. What are retailers doing with those stores? How are they rebranding them? How can they execute these rebrands and remodels, maintain consistency and avoid breaking the bank? Here are some tips on how to refresh legacy stores for less.

Think Turnkey, Not Tear Down

Avoid knock down new build (KDNB) and costly, time-consuming demolitions. Team up with a retail environment professional who’ll work with the store’s existing infrastructure. If the current space doesn’t align with the new store size, consider adding a dining area or expanding coffee corners – also a great way to drive sales and enhance customer experience.


Choose Good, Better or Best

Different treatments suit different markets. Work with a retail environment expert or designer who will design with brand and budget in mind. The right professional can develop an affordable plan by providing three “good,” “better” and “best” pricing options.

Get a Clear Visual

In addition to good, better or best approaches, a la carte offerings are ideal for budget-minded retailers. Have designers create sharable computer renderings, prototypes and images of what to expect.

Bridge Brand Experience

Match décor elements from the new store and integrate them into legacy stores. Consider opting for more affordable materials such as faux brick or vinyl flooring. Alterative materials offer the same look and feel as wood or tile for less.


Buy in Bulk

Aggressive new store openings can lead to pricey labor-intensive installs and expensive signage overruns – remember not all stores are the same size. By leveraging asset management and project management, retailers can cut costs and save time by purchasing POS in bulk.

 

Our Brand Story

GSP started as a printing company in1978. We found our niche supplying in-store signage for convenience stores when retailers guessed quantities they needed. This led to overage, waste and expense. To solve this, we developed software to guarantee on-time delivery of “the right size sign, to the right store, every time.”

In 2014, we started AccuStore with a dedicated team. As software helped drive our growth, we realized that new printing and fulfillment sites near customers could drive business and improve sustainability. We acquired companies that fit GSP’s technical excellence and superior customer service models.

First was Great Big Pictures in Madison, WI in 2015. They lead the field in large format printing and visual merchandising for iconic fashion retailers. Their standards for customer service include award-winning sustainability programs, and expertise to bolster retail environments services.

In 2020, GSP acquired Custom Color in Lenexa, KS. The company supplies printed graphics to leading retailers. Custom Color’s stellar quality in fabric printing also aligns with GSP’s values.

GSP provides branding and marketing services with a focus on site-specific execution to help transform our customers’ growth strategies into store-level success. We design retail environments to engage shoppers and provide superior customer experiences. AccuStore powers our retail marketing, execution and digital display technologies and ensures stores get only what they need. GSP is a forward-thinking company that’s here to serve retailers now, with a focus on their future.

GSP delivers graphics and digital marketing to over 75,000 retail locations. Our experts provide retail branding and marketing services, focused on site-specific execution. Our methods ensure stores get only the POP they need, at the lowest cost. Our Retail Environments team creates and deploys amazing, in-store shopping experiences.