How Long Does a Turnkey Store Take? Step-by-Step Timeline

A turnkey store project generally takes a few weeks from site visit to handover, and production is usually the longest item on the schedule. This is not a commitment but a typical range: store size, the share of custom production, approval rounds during 3D design and shopping mall permits can all extend the timeline. The exact schedule for your project is drawn up after the site visit and measurement.

How long does a turnkey store project take?

Stage	Example duration range	What affects the duration most?
Site visit + needs analysis	1–2 days	Whether the space is ready, how clear the product list is
3D design + revisions	3–7 days	Number of revision rounds, number of decision-makers
Production	1–2 weeks on average (depending on workload)	Factory workload, share of custom production, choice of colours and materials
Installation + handover	2–5 days	Store size, whether the space is ready for installation, working hours
Mall project approval (if applicable)	Depends on mall management	Technical specifications, application file, approval schedule

The durations in the table are example, typical ranges, not commitments; they vary with store size, the share of custom production and approval times. The exact schedule for your project is set after the site visit.

How long does each step take?

Site visit and measurement

The team measures the store on site and records the positions of columns, windows, the shopfront and electrical points. This stage is short, but starting with incomplete information slows down every step that follows. If the space is still under construction and the walls aren't final, a second visit may be needed for exact measurements.

3D design and approval

Shelf layout, colours and materials are seen on screen through 3D visualization before production. What drives the schedule is not how long the design takes to draw but how long approval takes: every new revision round pushes back the start of production.

Production

Based on the approved design, the wall shelving, mid-floor stands and custom units are manufactured. In projects dominated by standard modules, this stage moves toward the lower end of the typical range; as the share of store-specific dimensions, colours or units grows, it shifts toward the upper end.

Delivery, installation and handover

How long installation takes depends as much on whether the space is ready as on the size of the store. In a space where flooring, ceiling and electrical work isn't finished, installation has to be split into stages. The store is handed over after the final check, once the snag list is closed.

What makes the timeline longer?

• Approval rounds: several decision-makers giving feedback separately extends the 3D stage.
• Share of custom production: the more non-standard dimensions, colours and units, the longer production takes.
• Mall permits: project approval, installation hours and material delivery rules can add days to the schedule.
• Dimension changes: changes to walls, columns or the shopfront line after the site visit reopen design and production.
• Delays in other trades: electrical, flooring, ceiling and signage work can hold up shelving installation. We don't carry out this work; we only coordinate it so it doesn't clash with the schedule.
• A store that can't close: installation in an open store, done section by section and outside opening hours, can extend the total duration.

What can you do to shorten the timeline?

• Give approval authority to a single person and send revisions in one go.
• Bring your product list, product quantities and, if you have one, your brand identity guidelines to the site visit.
• Limit different dimensions, colours and custom units to what you genuinely need; repeating module sizes speed up production.
• If you're opening in a shopping mall, share the technical specifications at the first meeting.
• Confirm the completion date of your flooring, ceiling and electrical contractor during the site visit.

How do you plan backwards from the opening date?

The soundest way to build the schedule is to start from opening day and work backwards:

1. Opening day: the store is ready to trade.
2. The last days before opening: product placement, price labels, final check and snag list.
3. Installation and handover: installation of shelving, sales counter and display units, final check and handover.
4. Production: manufacturing to the approved design; the longest item on the schedule.
5. 3D design approval: the final decision that allows production to start.
6. Site visit and measurement: where the process begins.

At every step, work from the upper end of the typical range and leave extra buffer for approvals and permits. We've listed what to check in the final days before opening, point by point, in our store opening checklist.

Which work can run in parallel?

The most effective way to shorten the schedule is to run work that doesn't wait on other work at the same time:

• While production is under way, electrical, flooring and ceiling work in the store can be completed.
• Signage and shopfront orders can be placed together with 3D approval.
• Stock orders, staff hiring and setting up the checkout system progress independently of installation.
• The mall project file can be prepared in parallel while the 3D design is being produced.

How does the timeline change when you open in a shopping mall?

In mall projects, the mall management's own processes are added to the shelving schedule. Project approval, installation that usually has to take place while stores are closed, and material delivery rules call for more buffer than a high-street store needs. These conditions vary from mall to mall, so ask for the mall's technical specifications as early as possible.

A short checklist for schedule risk

• Is there an opening date and a schedule written backwards from it?
• Is it clear who will give 3D approval?
• Have the units that need custom production been listed?
• Have you obtained the mall's specifications and approval schedule?
• Do the completion dates for electrical, flooring, ceiling and signage work clash with shelving installation?
• Will the store close during installation or keep trading?
• Has a delay buffer been built into every stage?

If you'd like one team to run every step from site visit to handover, you'll find the scope on our turnkey store project service page. If you're planning the budget alongside the schedule, our page on the items that determine shelving prices is the place to start.

Get a free site visit and quote for your project

At Kare Raf, our Ataşehir-based team handles store shelving systems, 3D store design, production and installation from a single source, in all districts of Istanbul, and outside Istanbul on request, with completed projects in Gebze/Kocaeli and Çanakkale. Our shelving is never mass-produced off a rack: every project starts with a free on-site measurement, and the units are made to your store's exact dimensions and your sector's needs. Request a free site visit and measurement and we'll come back with a transparent, line-item quote. Call now: +90 506 411 71 90 or message us on WhatsApp.