Relocating a Cosmetics and Beauty Supply Shop: Bottles, Creams and Display Shelves

The shelves behind the counter hold perfumes, body creams, hair oils, nail polish and a glass cabinet of lipsticks. One loose carton on a bad bend and you lose a week of profit in a puddle of oil and broken glass. A beauty supply shop looks light, but its stock is small, fragile and easy to ruin.

The move goes well when you treat the stock as breakables first and furniture second. Here is how shop owners usually plan it.

Count before you pack

Take a full stock count a few days before. Write the main lines on a sheet: perfumes, creams, oils, hair products, nail items, wigs and tools. Mark anything that is nearly empty or expired and sell or bin it now rather than move it.

Photograph each shelf so you can rebuild it at the new shop. Customers notice when the layout feels wrong, and a photo saves hours.

Pack by type

Glass and liquids need most care.

1. Wrap perfumes and glass bottles one by one in paper or cloth, then stand them upright in strong cartons with dividers.
2. Put creams, oils and lotions in sealed bags inside the carton, so a leak does not spoil the rest.
3. Tape lids shut, and tape over pump heads.
4. Pack nail polish and aerosols together in their own box, upright, and follow the manufacturer's guidance on heat and pressure.
5. Wigs and hair extensions go in clean bags or boxes, away from oils.

Label every carton with its contents and which shelf it came from. Mark "this way up" on all liquids. Our guide on packing fragile items for same-day moves has a good method.

Shelves, mirrors and display glass

Take glass shelves out and wrap each in blankets, with cardboard on the edges. Mirrors travel upright and padded on both faces. Our post on moving glass shows how. Unscrew wooden shelving and bag the fittings with tape on each unit.

The counter, the stools and any chairs for customers go on the truck early, and are not allowed to rest against cartons.

Keep stock out of the heat

Creams, perfumes and oils react badly to long sun. Avoid loading in the middle of the afternoon if you can, and pick a truck with a covered load or fit a tarpaulin. Keep the cartons low and in the shade of the body. Move the stock straight to the new shop, and unpack it away from the window.

Loading order

Heavy furniture and shelving first. Then the strongest cartons, packed tight. Fragile cartons and glass go on last, in the middle, where they will not slide or get crushed. Strap the load. Fill gaps with soft items such as bags of wigs or rolled blankets.

Our shop move post on moving a shop overnight in Lagos is useful for the timing.

Reopening

Unpack the till area and the best-selling lines first. Shelves can be finished the next day. Check cartons for leaks and breakages before you shelve anything, and note them while the driver is still there.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app and choose a pickup van for a small shop, or a truck for a large one with shelving and a lot of cartons. Add the pickup and drop-off, then describe the load: "60 cartons of perfumes and creams, 6 glass shelves, 2 mirrors, counter, 4 stools". Say that the stock is fragile and that you want it kept out of the sun. Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept.

Useful pages: van hire in Lagos and business moves in Lagos.