When a store temporarily closes for a retaileverything has to be ready for reopening day. Behind a new concept or a redesigned layout, another transformation is taking place, often out of sight: that of theIT infrastructure.Network, payment systems, Wi-Fi, connected equipment: every element has to be operational the moment the first customers walk in.
For the complete refit of the KIKO Milano Thionville store, Digital Novva Partners supported the brand across the entire IT side of the project. Alongside the on-site teams, we managed the removal, reinstallation, and recommissioning of the IT equipment to ensure the store reopened on schedule. Go behind the scenes of a retail refit and the best practices that help a multi-site retail project succeed.
A retail refit: much more than a simple store renovation
When people talk about a retail refit, they often think of a new store concept, updated furniture, or a redesigned customer experience. Yet these changes rely on IT infrastructure capable of supporting day-to-day operations. Without a network, a payment system, or fully operational equipment, it's impossible to welcome customers from the moment the doors open.
That's why a refit can't be improvised. Behind every reopening lies preparation, coordination, and recommissioning work that mobilizes many stakeholders, all with one shared goal: letting the store resume business without disrupting the customer experience.
Challenges that go beyond the store layout
In a multi-site retail environment, every reopening is a major milestone. The work has to be carried out on a precise schedule, and everyone involved has to meet often very tight deadlines.
The challenge isn't just delivering a renovated store. From day one, teams need to be able to process payments, access their work tools, communicate, and welcome customers under the best conditions. Every piece of IT equipment contributes to how the store runs.
The larger the store network, the more essential standardisation becomes. Infrastructure, procedures, and configurations need to stay consistent to make maintenance, future interventions and IT infrastructure upgrades.
The importance of IT infrastructure in the in-store experience
When customers discover a renovated store, they don't see all the infrastructure that keeps it running day to day. Yet every service relies on IT equipment that has to be fully operational as soon as the store reopens.
Internet connection, payment systems, Wi-Fi network, telephony, digital signage, and security systems: together, this equipment forms the technical backbone of the store. Even a minor failure can quickly disrupt team activity and degrade the customer experience.
That's why a retail refit isn't just about replacing or moving equipment. It also means checking its condition, optimizing how it's organized, and making sure the whole infrastructure still meets the store's needs and the brand's standards.
“A refit is also a chance to do a genuine technology refresh. We identify the equipment that's no longer needed so that only the most relevant technologies are kept”, explains Ilann Weindling, field consultant at Digital Novva Partners.
This step not only makes it possible to start fresh with a clearer, more efficient infrastructure, but also makes future interventions and equipment maintenance easier.
The main steps of a successful field intervention
A well-formulated retail refit isn't just about moving equipment from point A to point B. Every intervention follows a methodology to guarantee that all the equipment works properly — right from the store's reopening.
For the KIKO Milano Thionville refit, the intervention was built around three main steps.
Step 1: Identify and assess the existing setup
Before any intervention, it's essential to carry out a precise assessment of the IT infrastructure. This phase helps prepare the work, but also makes it possible to use the refit as an opportunity to optimize the existing environment.
As Ilann explains, a refit is an opportunity to carry out a genuine “technology cleanup". The goal is to identify the equipment still in use, remove anything that has become obsolete, and start over with a clearer, higher-performing infrastructure.
The removal phase also makes it possible to precisely record all the equipment present, to guarantee it's properly reinstalled once the work is finished.
This first step notably consists of:
- Identifying the various equipment present in the store;
- Removing and storing equipment during the work;
- Identifying active devices;
- Documenting the installation to prepare for reinstallation.
This preparation makes the rest of the intervention easier and reduces the risk of anything being overlooked when it's time to bring everything back online.
Step 2: Prepare the intervention in advance
The success of a refit is largely determined before the team even arrives on site. Careful preparation makes it possible to anticipate unforeseen issues and meet reopening deadlines.
It's particularly important to plan for backup equipment in case of problems, as well as everything needed to reorganize the server rack. This can include network cables, cable management accessories, trays, or uninterruptible power supplies.
Each brand also has its own specifications. In the case of KIKO Milano, teams have to follow precise rules regarding technical organization, color coding, and equipment identification.
This standardisation is a real advantage. Because the infrastructure is similar from one store to another, interventions become more efficient and maintenance operations are easier over the long run.
Step 3: Reinstall and recommission the infrastructure
Once the work is finished, the entire IT infrastructure is reinstalled before being tested point by point.
In Thionville, the intervention specifically covered:
- The Wi-Fi access points;
- The server rack;
- The payment systems (iPads, iPhones, card readers, Adyen terminals, and receipt printers);
- Workstations and the office printer;
- Wireless telephony;
- Audio and video equipment (screens and speakers);
- Customer-counting cameras.
Each piece of equipment is then checked during acceptance testing, a testing phase used to make sure every device communicates correctly and is fully operational before the store reopens.
How Digital Novva Partners supports retail brands
Every retail refit has its own specifics. Yet one goal remains the same: helping store teams get back to business under the best possible conditions as soon as the store reopens. To achieve that, the project's success depends as much on technical expertise as on coordinating the various stakeholders involved.
It's with this in mind that Digital Novva Partners supports retail brands, taking charge of the IT dimension of their opening, renovation, and multi-site rollout projects.
Specialized expertise in retail environments
Working across a network of stores can't be improvised. Each brand has its own technical standards, procedures, and organization.
This refit in Thionville is in fact part of an ongoing series of projects that Digital Novva Partners has carried out for KIKO Milano. After the store openings in Rennes, Marseille, and Montpellier, the teams continue to support retail brands in their opening and renovation projects.
Over the course of these projects, Digital Novva Partners has developed specific expertise in retail environments. This experience allows the teams to step in quickly while still meeting the specific requirements of each network.
Beyond technical mastery, this hands-on field knowledge also makes it easier to communicate with the various project stakeholders and helps ensure a smooth intervention through to the store's recommissioning.
A methodology designed to limit operational risk
The preparation is one of the most important steps of a refit. Before any intervention, the teams anticipate equipment needs, identify the equipment already in place, and arrange backup solutions so they can react quickly if something unexpected happens.
This methodology notably makes it possible to:
- Prepare all the necessary equipment ahead of the intervention;
- Have backup equipment on hand in case an incident occurs during the work;
- Precisely document the existing infrastructure;
- Organize the reinstallation to guarantee a fast, efficient recommissioning.
This approach helps keep the project on schedule while limiting disruption when the store reopens.
A strong on-site intervention capability
To support brands across all their projects, Digital Novva Partners relies on an experienced network of technical partners , mobilized according to the needs of each intervention. This approach makes it possible to combine project management with the teams' operational expertise.
For the KIKO Milano Thionville refit, this complementary approach made it possible to handle the removal of equipment, its reinstallation as part of the store's new concept, and the recommissioning of the entire IT infrastructure within the allotted timeframe.
“Digital Novva Partners supports brands alongside the retail department's technical teams. This collaboration lets us draw on the experience and skills of both teams to help resolve any issues that might come up on site", explains Ilann.
By combining coordination, field expertise, and specialized partners, Digital Novva Partners helps brands carry out their refit projects with a reliable IT infrastructure, ready to support the resumption of business from day one.
Conclusion
Aretail refitisn't just about modernizing a store or rolling out a new concept. It's also an IT project that calls for rigorous preparation, seamless coordination among the various stakeholders, and a detailed understanding of the operational constraints specific to multi-site networks.
Through the KIKO Milano Thionville refit, Digital Novva Partners illustrates its approach: supporting brands on the IT dimension of their projects by drawing on field expertise, a proven methodology, and a network of specialized partners. The goal is simple: letting store teams count on a reliable, high-performing IT infrastructure that's ready to run as soon as the store reopens.
Planning a store opening, a retail refit, or a multi-site rollout? Our teams support you at every step of your project, to guarantee a smooth go-live tailored to your operational needs.