The lease on the new shop in Abuja is signed, the shelves are being fitted, and the main shop in Lagos still has to trade this week. The first stock move has to leave one place without emptying it and arrive at the other in a state where staff can price and display it the same day.
Opening a second branch is different from relocating a shop. Nothing is closing. You are splitting stock, and the mistakes are about counting, timing and who stands at the receiving end.
Decide what the branch actually needs
Do not copy the whole shop. Pick the lines that sell fast and the display pieces that make the new shop look stocked. Many owners send too much on day one, then pay to move slow stock around later.
Write a stock list by product group, with quantities. Keep a copy at both ends. If you run a pharmacy, a boutique or a provision store, the packing differs, but the list rule is the same.
Price and tag before the truck leaves
Do the slow jobs at the old shop, where you have staff and a counter. Tag items, put them in cartons by group and label each carton with a number and the contents. At the new shop, nobody wants to open a hundred unmarked boxes to find the pepper grinders.
A simple sheet works: carton number, contents, quantity. Send a photo of it to the person at the new branch.
Pack for a long trip, not a short one
A load that rides for hours on a highway shifts more than one that crosses a Lagos suburb. Use sturdy cartons, fill gaps, tape every seam and keep each carton to a weight two people can handle. Our guide on preparing a household load for a long highway trip covers padding and strapping, and it applies to shop stock too.
Heavy cartons go low and near the cab. Fragile cartons go on top, marked clearly, and nothing heavy sits above them. Shelving pieces are often long and awkward, so lay them along the side and strap them.
Choose the vehicle by weight and space
Stock for a small shop may fit a pickup van. A full supermarket or hardware line wants a truck. If you are unsure, read choosing the right truck size and when one pickup van is enough. If the stock cannot all fit in one load, send the fast sellers first and the rest later.
Ready to move?
Request a truck or van on Sphere
Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.
Put someone at the receiving end
This is the one that owners forget. The driver arrives in Abuja and nobody has the key.
- Name one person who will receive the load and phone the driver on arrival
- Make sure the shop is open, lit and clean
- Check the gate, parking and access for a truck
- Have helpers ready to carry cartons in, if you have agreed that
- Count cartons off the truck against your list before the driver leaves
Our guide on preparing the drop-off before an intercity truck arrives goes through each point.
Time it for opening, not just arrival
If the shop opens on Monday, aim for stock to arrive on Thursday or Friday. That leaves a weekend for shelving, pricing and fixing what went wrong. A truck that arrives on Sunday night leaves nothing in hand.
Keep the main shop trading
Count what you are taking out of the old shop and mark the shelves, so you do not sell items that have already been loaded. If you are sending a lot, refill the main shop's gaps quickly. Our post on restocking your shop in Lagos with a weekly bulk move system can help with the routine.
How to do this on Sphere
Open the Sphere app, choose a truck or pickup van and add the pickup and drop-off in the two cities. Describe the stock by carton count and type, mention shelving pieces and heavy items, and say when someone will be at the new branch. Propose a price. Nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers, and you choose between them. Agree loading and offloading help before you accept.
Useful pages: truck hire in Lagos, business moves in Lagos and Sphere in Abuja.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send all my stock to the new branch at once?
Usually not. Send the fast sellers and the display pieces first, then top up when you see what sells.
How do I count cartons reliably?
Number every carton, keep a list at both ends and count off the truck before the driver leaves.
When should the stock arrive?
Aim for a day or two before opening so staff can shelve and price. Arriving on the night before opening leaves no margin.
Can one pickup van carry a small shop's first stock?
Sometimes. It depends on weight and volume, so describe the load by carton count and ask the driver.
Who should receive the truck?
One named person with the key, a phone and a copy of the carton list.
Request your move
Request a truck or van on Sphere
Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan accept or send a counter-offer.
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