The Varkaus K-Citymarket hypermarket has stood the test of time without major renovations since it was opened, so the refurbishment carried out in autumn 2022 brought the shop from the 90s to the present day in one go. During his career, shopkeeper Aki Tuononen has been involved in a number of minor renovations, but this was his first project of this scale. Muutosryhmä was selected as the partner for the implementation of the refurbishment, and Tuononen says he is very happy with the service.
The design puts the shop’s business at the forefront
“The project went very well overall, despite the rather ambitious schedule. When the refurbishment began, I was sceptical as to whether the shop could be ready in just two or three weeks. I would never have believed that moving those huge gondola shelves would happen so quickly,” Tuononen says.
The Varkaus K-Citymarket was the first K-Chain project for Muutosryhmä’s Regional Manager Ilari Juutilainen as well.
“Our approach is based on taking the needs of the business into account already at the planning stage. In terms of floor grinding, for example, that means that when an area in the shop is isolated for grinding, it is done such that no inconvenience is caused to customers and the products remain accessible to shoppers. We always bear in mind who we are carrying out the remodelling for,” Juutilainen says.
A shop renovation as a service offers peace of mind
Renovations cause disruptions and take a lot of time and resources. However, with the help of a capable partner, the shop can continue to do business as usual.
“Renovations and refurbishments take a lot of resources away from running the shop. However, the number of shop staff remains the same as in normal operations, which means that a shop refurbishment represents a major disruption – also for the staff. If the remodelling drags on, daily activities become impossible.
For me, one of the most important benefits of teaming up with a competent partner is that someone else is in charge of one big area of the shop renovation project. That frees up time and resources and you even get to sleep a few hours at night – provided, of course, that you can trust your chosen partner. During the very first days, it became obvious that we had a team of people who would get things done,” Tuononen recalls.
Muutosryhmä – an agile and reliable partner for refurbishments
Tuononen, who did not know Muutosryhmä before, selected Muutosryhmä as his partner in the shop refurbishment because he was impressed by their experience in the field.
“I’ve been involved in remodellings of sections before, but a refurbishment project of this size was a new experience for me. That is why I wanted a reliable and competent partner. Muutosryhmä’s extensive experience in shop refurbishments for various chains convinced me.
Taneli, the head of the project at Muutosryhmä, had a solution to whatever was thrown at him and he was there all the time, solving problems related to the refurbishment and daily activities. I would be happy to use Muutosryhmä’s services again, and I know who my go-to partner is for any future shop refurbishment projects,” Tuononen sums up.
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