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Opening · Retail

Retail store opening checklist — 19 tasks step by step, signed with a PIN

An orderly shop-opening routine covering alarm, window display, till float and floor restock turns a morning rush into a calm, predictable start.

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10-25 min opening Till float counted and balanced Signed tasks, at hand

Quick summary

What does a sales assistant do when opening the shop?

In most fashion, eyewear, hardware or gift stores, opening the shop takes between 10 and 25 minutes depending on size and format. The biggest bottleneck is powering up the till and card reader, then counting the till float accurately. Breaking the process into clear routine blocks eliminates guesswork and stops critical tasks being overlooked.

A solid shop opening procedure splits into five blocks: Access and alarm, Lights and ambience, Till and POS, Floor and window, and Opening to the public. The till float demands attention — £100 to £200 in small coins and notes is typical — alongside a facing check that straightens stock and fills empty hangers or shelf gaps.

Paper checklists get forgotten, signed late or left in the back office. With Timlup, every task appears in its correct sequence on a touchscreen, gets ticked off and signed with the assistant's PIN and an exact time stamp. You document in an orderly way whatever you choose to record, so you always know who did what and when, without chasing scrawled signatures.

In the shop

The shop opening, in pictures

From the window to the till: every task signed from the tablet.

Shop assistant opening the store in the morning, switching on lights and tidying the window.
Lights and window check ticked and PIN-signed, with time and employee.
Retail worker setting up the till and POS at opening with a tablet.
Till opening and float, recorded with no paper.
Full checklist

The 19 opening tasks, ordered by block

Total estimated time 10-25 min. Start by powering up the till and card reader, which take a while to boot, while you check the window and floor.

Access and alarm

3 min — first thing in
  1. 1 Unlock the door and disarm the alarm with your personal code within the entry delay 1 min
  2. 2 Check for overnight issues: locks, shutter, glazing and back office 1 min
  3. 3 Confirm fire exits are clear and extinguishers accessible 1 min

Lights and ambience

3 min
  1. 1 Switch on floor lighting, product spotlights and the exterior fascia sign 1 min
  2. 2 Switch on the window display lighting 1 min
  3. 3 Start the heating/air-con and set background music at the shop's volume 1 min

Till and POS

6 min — starts first (boot and connect)
  1. 1 Power up the till and wait for it to load updates and connect to the network 1 min
  2. 2 Power up the card reader and confirm the payment connection 1 min
  3. 3 Count the till float (£100-200 in small coins and notes) and enter the opening balance 3 min
  4. 4 Check till and card reader receipt paper; reload if low 1 min

Floor and window

8 min
  1. 1 Inspect the window from the pavement: mannequins, campaign signage, clean glass 2 min
  2. 2 Tidy the entrance: clean floor, mat in place, nothing blocking the way 1 min
  3. 3 Facing and restock: pull stock to the front and fill gaps on shelves and rails 3 min
  4. 4 Check price and promotion signage is current (RRP, discounts, daily offers) 1 min
  5. 5 Check fitting rooms: clear hangers, tags and garments; mirrors and floor clean 1 min

Opening to the public

5 min
  1. 1 Quick team briefing: targets for the day, promotions and zone allocation 2 min
  2. 2 Confirm the CCTV cameras are recording 1 min
  3. 3 Check the door security tagging system is operational 1 min
  4. 4 Unlock the door, turn the sign to 'Open' and raise the shutter 1 min
Assistant view

This simple on the shop tablet

The assistant signs in with a PIN, sees only the tasks for their time slot and signs off to close the block. You track compliance from your panel without being on the shop floor.

City Store · Till

Opening — Till and POS

due 10:00
3 / 5
  • Power up till and wait for network
  • Power up card reader and test payments
  • Count till float £100-200
  • Enter opening balance in till
  • Reload till and card reader paper
Tick all 5 tasks to sign and close the block
Why Timlup

Paperless opening — no doubts, no slip-ups

Three levers that change the morning routine at your shop.

PIN-signed accountability

Each step is confirmed with a unique PIN and a time stamp, so there's no doubt about who completed a task. It keeps the opening routine honest and traceable without extra effort.

Optimal task ordering

Timlup presents your checklist in the right sequence every morning — disarm before lights, till before front of house. Your team follows a proven flow, cutting out chaotic scrambling.

Real-time oversight

Managers can check on opening progress from any device without making a call or visiting the shop floor. A single dashboard shows which tasks are done and which still need attention.

FAQ

Common opening questions

What managers and assistants ask us most about starting the day in a shop.

How long does it take to open a shop in the morning?
Most fashion, gift and optician stores can complete a full opening between 10 and 25 minutes. Compact boutiques are often ready in under 15 minutes, while larger floorplates with multiple tills and fitting rooms may need the full half-hour. A well-structured checklist keeps the process moving without repeated trips to the stockroom.
What is a till float and how much should you leave?
A till float is the starting cash you place in the till at opening so you can give change to the first customers. For many UK high-street shops the float sits between £100 and £200, made up of mostly £5 and £10 notes plus a good mix of 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins. Counting it twice and logging the amount in the morning prevents discrepancies later.
What do you check on the window display at opening?
Switch on any window lighting and walk outside to inspect the display from the pavement. Look for fallen mannequins, crooked signage, fading or torn posters, and dust or smudges on the glass. A quick tidy and straighten ensures the first impression pulls passers-by through the door.
Why power up the till and card reader first?
Tills and card terminals can take several minutes to boot, load updates and connect to the payment network. Starting them early means they are ready before you need to serve, and you also catch any hardware faults or overnight error messages while you still have time to fix them. It stops you turning away the first sale because the card machine is still powering up.
What is facing or floor restock?
Facing means pulling products to the front of the shelf or hanging rail so every SKU looks full and inviting. A quick morning restock fills obvious gaps — popular sizes in fashion, best-selling glasses in an optician, or missing hardware pegs — so the shop floor looks ready to sell as soon as the door unlocks.
How do you safely disarm the alarm when opening?
The first person in must follow the insurance-approved entry procedure: unlock the door, step inside, and deactivate the alarm using the assigned code or fob within the designated entry delay. Never share codes casually and retrace your steps if the control panel shows a fault. If the system won't disarm, wait outside and contact your security provider before entering.
How often should fitting rooms be checked?
At opening, do a quick sweep for anything left overnight — stray hangers, price tags, or lost property. Then check fitting rooms at least every 30 to 60 minutes during trade, or more often in busy periods. A tidy, well-lit cubicle with a working hook and mirror keeps the shopping experience pleasant and reduces theft risk.
What security check should you do when opening the shop?
Walk the entire sales floor and back areas looking for opened windows, ceiling tile disturbances or anything that looks out of place. Confirm the back door is locked from the inside and that the safe count matches last night's readings. Test that the panic button and alarm sounders are functional before you let the first customer in.
John Guerrero
Editor

John Guerrero

Founder of Timlup · Founder of ChefBusiness

15+ years working on business operations and process digitisation. Behind Timlup, ChefBusiness and AI Chef Pro. These guides capture the daily-control procedures I see working in operations-heavy businesses across Spain.

ChefBusiness ↗ AI Chef Pro ↗ GastroSEO ↗ Hosply ↗

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