General Construction/ Retail Construction/ Strategies and Operations

The Commercial Construction Checklist to Successful International Retail Projects. Bon Chance!

Chuck Taylor Best commercial construction projects, Commercial Construction, Commercial Construction Trends, Construction abroad, Constructions best-practices, englewood construction, International Clients, International Retail Construction, LEED Building Certification, Marcello’s Market and Deli, Michael Hill, Retail Construction 09/23/2010

Marcello’s Market and Deli from Canada is the latest international retailer to work with Englewood Construction.

Lately, we seem to be working on more and more new retail construction projects from international retailers. And with each one, we’ve learned some valuable commercial construction tips.

Whether it’s a chain of jewelry stores from Michael Hill (New Zealand), yoga apparel retailer Lululemon Athletica (Canada), fashion forward Zara (Spain) or restaurants like Marcello’s Market and Deli (Canada), they all want the same thing: a successful retail construction project that’s built on time and for a fair price. Not surprisingly, that’s the same thing U.S. retailers want. But getting from point A to point B with foreign retailers takes a certain savoir faire.

1. Time zones. With the five new retail stores we recently completed for Michael Hill, there was an 18-hour time difference between us and the retailer, which meant the end of our day, was the start of their tomorrow. So we engaged one of our favorite technologies for working in different time zones – Skype.
If you haven’t used Skype before, check it out. The service is free, but you have to pay for the equipment. Just keep in mind, you can send all the emails you want, or Skype every day, but there’s no time like face time.

2. Language barrier. Luckily this hasn’t been an issue with our international retailers, but as some of you may know, there is a difference between speaking Spanish with people from Spain and speaking Spanish with people from Mexico. If you’re an international retail developer, make sure you ask about your retail contractor’s capabilities to communicate effectively with you or if translators are needed (and who will pay for that expense).

3. Logistics. Some international retailers prefer to ship materials from their country, while others let us fabricate millwork locally. If items are being received internationally, it’s a bonus if your general construction firm is experienced in receiving materials from customs.

For retailers interested in green building practices, suggest locally manufactured items as those certainly count in their favor toward commercial LEED building certification.

Although I will say, we’ve used some very innovative construction materials from our international retail clients. They tend to set commercial construction trends by using interesting finishes and details that aren’t always common stateside.

4. Measurements. I love my country, but if I could, I would use the metric system for all new commercial construction projects, not just for our international clients. The metric system is so accurate, it’s perfect for construction. Make sure everyone on the team can instantly convert from the industry standard to the metric system. Clients should not have to deal with a metric system learning curve from their general contractor.

5. Municipality/U.S. code compliance. When working with international retailers, it’s often the middle processes that can cause a stumbling block, like making sure their materials are UL approved, or that a design is meeting a municipality’s requirements. That’s why it’s important to bring a general commercial contractor into the process as early as possible, so they can let clients know during the design build process what needs to be changed to comply with U.S. codes.

6. Expectations. Last, but not least, it’s important to discover and manage the expectations of an international retail client. Not only may we be living in different time zones and speaking different languages, but we also differ in our social customs and national holidays. Case in point, Thanksgiving is a U.S.-only holiday, so don’t be surprised if some international clients expect you to work that day.

Keep the channels of communication open, and communicate in a way that works for both of you. This can be a real test of your client and commercial construction services.

Bottom line, they are the client. Follow their lead. And if you’re not willing to make the effort, then I’m sure there is a long line of other commercial general contractors who will.