Grand Opening Checklist Singapore: 30-Day Countdown for Retail and F&B

A grand opening in Singapore is one of the few marketing moments where a mistake shows up in your first-week sales. This is the 30-day countdown checklist our team runs for retail and F&B openings.

Day 30 to 21: fix the big rocks

• Confirm opening date and time with landlord, mall and neighbours.
• Book lion dance troupe, emcee, guest of honour and photographer.
• Apply for URA, SPF and mall permits where required.
• Lock the ribbon-cutting kit, blessings, prayer or god of fortune sequence if relevant.
• Kick off the paid social teaser campaign, we usually do this via our digital marketing team.

Day 20 to 11: build the audience

• RSVP funnel live on your site, we build one every opening.
• Media list finalised, invites sent under embargo.
• Opening-week promo confirmed and briefed to sales staff.
• Influencer seeding kit produced and dispatched.
• Signage, wayfinding and photo wall design approved.

Day 10 to 4: production and rehearsal

• Full run-through on site with lion dance, emcee and VIP flow.
• AV, lighting and music check in the actual space.
• Staff briefing on day-of roles, POS training and queue management.
• Content plan for day-of: sizzle reel brief, stills shot list, live posting cadence.

Day 3 to 1: last-mile

• Confirm VIP arrivals, transport and holding room.
• Print run: menus, name cards, thank-you notes.
• Weather contingency, tents, fans, umbrella backup.
• Petty cash, walkie-talkies, first aid, incident log ready.

Day 0: opening

• Crew call two hours before doors.
• Lion dance and ribbon-cutting on the dot.
• Live content posted every 30 minutes.
• Post-event, retargeting ads live within 24 hours.

What most openings miss

Two things: staffing for footfall (you always underestimate) and the follow-up campaign. The grand opening is a media moment, but the four weeks after are what turn opening buzz into repeat customers. We build both into every opening we run, see how we do it.