Moving a Shop Overnight in Lagos: Close Late, Open on Time

The shutters come down at 8pm, the new shop has been painted and shelved, and the owner wants the doors open again at 8am. That leaves one night to move every carton, shelf and freezer across Lagos. It can be done, and shop owners do it all the time, but only when the night is planned like a small operation.

The shops that struggle are usually the ones that start packing when the customers leave. The ones that cope have done most of the work in the days before.

Do the slow work before the night

Stock counting is the slowest job in any shop move, so do it while the shop is still trading. Count the fast-selling lines last and the slow ones first. If you can, run slow lines down in the final week instead of carrying them across.

Pack the back stores and the top shelves ahead of time. Anything customers will not ask for this week can be sealed in cartons days early. Label each carton with the shelf or section it belongs to, not just "provisions" or "drinks".

On the day itself, leave only the fast sellers on the shelves. You can keep selling until closing time, then pack in a few hours instead of a full night.

Plan the night in order

A rough order of work that suits most shops:

1. Close, lock the till and take cash and phones out of the building first.
2. Pack the last shelves and the counter area.
3. Unplug fridges and freezers early so they can be emptied and wiped.
4. Load shelving units and heavy equipment first, then cartons.
5. Load the freezer and display fridge last on the pickup side, so they come off first.
6. Do a final walk-through for anything left behind: signboards, extension boxes, hangers, the card machine.

Put one person in charge of the list and let that person tick things off as they go onto the vehicle. When three people each think someone else counted the cartons, something stays behind.

Choose the vehicle for the load, not the budget

Shelving, a freezer, a display fridge and a few hundred cartons are not a pickup van load. On Sphere the pickup van is listed for up to 2,400kg and the truck up to 27,000kg, but weight is only half of it. Shelves and fridges take up a lot of space, and a half-full second trip at 2am costs you time you do not have.

A small kiosk or provisions store may fit in one pickup van. A full supermarket-style shop or a shop with a lot of racks usually needs a truck, or a truck and a van working together. If you are not sure, read our guide on choosing the right truck size and err on the bigger side.

Sort access at both ends before dark

Night moves fail at gates and car parks. Before you send a request, find out:

• whether the street or market has a gate, a closing time or a person who must let vehicles in
• where the truck can stand at the old shop and how far the carry is
• whether the new shop has stairs, a shutter that sticks or a landlord who needs to be present
• whether lighting at either end is good enough to work safely after dark

Tell the driver all of this in the request. A driver who knows about the 60-metre carry from the road can bring enough hands and plan time for it.

If you want to understand more about moving after hours, our night move safety playbook covers what customers and drivers should agree beforehand.

Ready to move?

Request a truck or van on Sphere

Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos accept or send a counter-offer.

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Protect the stock in the vehicle

Shop stock is often a mix of heavy and delicate goods. Keep drinks and tinned food low and at the front. Keep biscuits, cosmetics, electronics and glass on top and away from anything that can slide. Strap shelving so it cannot rattle against cartons, and cover the load if there is any chance of rain.

Ask the driver how the load will be tied down before you leave. Our driver guide to securing a load explains what a properly tied load looks like.

Unload straight into the layout

At the new shop, decide where each shelf stands before the vehicle arrives. Mark the floor with tape if you need to. Shelving goes up first, then freezers and fridges, then cartons by section. Let fridges and freezers stand before switching them on, and follow the manufacturer's guidance on how long.

Open the cartons section by section so the front of the shop looks ready first. You can finish the back store after opening if you have to.

How to do this on Sphere

1. Open the Sphere app and choose a truck or pickup van that fits the whole load.
2. Add the pickup and drop-off, with landmarks and notes about gates and access.
3. Describe the load honestly: shelves, fridges, number of cartons and anything fragile.
4. Say that the move is overnight and give your start time.
5. Propose your price. Nearby verified drivers accept it or send a counter-offer, and you choose.
6. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer.

See business moves in Lagos and truck hire in Lagos for more.