11 grand opening ideas to inspire your launch

There are multiple ways to mark your big day, and you should choose the one that fits best
with your brand. Mine this list for creative grand opening ideas and examples of successful
brands who’ve been there.

1. Host an in-store event

This is the typical format of a grand opening as it applies to a brick-and-mortar store. But an
in-store event doesn’t have to be limited to a ribbon-cutting and a bunch of balloons. Get
creative and host an event that is relevant to your business. 

If you run a service business, host a day of speed-dating-style free consultations. If you’re a
home goods retailer celebrating a reopening, host a cocktail party for your loyal customers
featuring products from the store (e.g., live cocktail demos with martini shakers you sell).
Book businesses should consider intimate readings or book signings.

Pretty Kitty Glam Bar hosted a classic ribbon-cutting ceremony for its grand opening in
Newark, New Jersey. The celebration leaned into the salon’s branding, with pink on pink—
right down to the oversized scissors.

Even online businesses can throw an in-person event. If you’re an artist or maker with a
dedicated studio, host an event in your space to bring fans inside your process and preview
some of your work in person. Otherwise, you can partner with another business or rent out a
space to host a cocktail party, live demo, or other event to celebrate your online store's grand
opening.

2. Offer a gift with purchase

If your goal is to get lots of activity in your retail store on day one, your grand opening
promotion may be a limited edition gift with purchase. This idea works for online stores, too.
Bonus: If your gift with purchase is swag (say, a branded beanie or water bottle), you’re
deputizing your customers as brand ambassadors.

In Los Angeles, low-waste refill shop Prostainable celebrated its grand opening week by
offering reusable hemp totes to the store’s first five customers each day. The gift aligns with
the store’s mission and provides plenty of room for more purchases.

3. Invite your early fans to an exclusive soft launch

An exclusive event or perk can be a great tool to soft launch your business. If you want to
forgo the big public event, then you can still incentivize email sign-ups or social follows by
hosting a soft launch. This could take the form of an invite-only event or an early access link
and promo code for your supporters. 

The benefit of this approach is getting early feedback and some live QA testing of your site
before you open it up to the world. And, if your first customers have a great personalized
experience, the word of mouth will already be circulating by the time you launch. Retail
businesses can also use this idea to host an exclusive grand opening party to preview the store
before it opens to the public.

4. Track the countdown to your grand opening 

A coming soon page with a countdown clock can build anticipation for your store launch or
grand opening event. This is a great place to link to as you build your social following.
Collect emails on this page by incentivizing sign-up with a promo code or early-access link. 

During your countdown, you can use social media to bring your early fans into your process
—share the hectic last-minute scramble of going live or share sneak peeks of your space or
products.

5. Host a live online event

There are many reasons why you might opt to host a virtual event versus an in-person one.
For one: a global pandemic. Business owners had to get creative to engage customers with
their brands during rolling lockdowns. Some didn’t let those restrictions hamper their big day
and used TikTok Live, Zoom, YouTube Live, Twitter Spaces, and other platforms to host
virtual events instead. 

6. Run a giveaway or contest

This grand opening idea works for any store, online or IRL. A contest or giveaway can grow
your following, build your email list, generate UGC, or get followers to share your content.
Use social and ask your followers to take a specific action for an entry. 

7. Provide online promo codes

Your first sale is a momentous occasion. If you launch your website or open your doors to the
sound of crickets, it can be deflating. That first sale is the validation that you’re onto
something. To incentivize grand opening day purchases, offer a promo code to all visitors to
your site (say through a homepage banner) or reward your early followers and subscribers
with an exclusive discount. 

When influencer Sam Hwang launched her online store, she announced a special promo code
to her Instagram followers to thank them for supporting her. 

8. Invite future customers along on a virtual tour

If an in-person event isn’t possible, whether due to pandemic restrictions or space constraints,
host a virtual tour instead. Many online creators have leaned into behind-the-scenes content
to share their space and process with fans. This is a popular content format on platforms like
TikTok. Use this idea to host a tour of your space and introduce yourself to your potential
customers.
When Boston’s Little Leaf Farms opened its new greenhouse during the pandemic, that
didn’t stop the company from hosting a splashy grand opening. The event included demos, a
founder Q&A, and a tour of the space—all in a virtual format.

The owner of Tyler Balloon Bar in Texas used TikTok to share a time lapse of her process
of designing and setting up the brand’s new store in advance of its opening day.

9. Start a fundraiser or partner with a local charity

If social impact and community are important to your business, take a step beyond declaring
it so on your About page. A fundraiser or charity partnership is a great way to demonstrate
that your business lives up to its values. And community connections are important for any
new store hoping to attract local business.

10. Tag in the influencers

Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool to introduce a brand to a niche audience. After
you identify influencers who have audiences that resemble your target customer, reach out to
collaborate.

Invite local influencers to your IRL grand opening, partner on a giveaway leading up to your
big day, or simply work with them on a paid promotional post the day your online store goes
live. Using a dedicated promo code will help you measure the success of the campaign.

11. Collaborate with other brands

Especially in the aftermath of a global pandemic, the small business community is critical.
Within the retail world, a main street of local businesses can collaborate on advertising,
events, and solving local problems that affect the business community. In the online world,
connecting with others in the space offers knowledge-sharing and the opportunity for
collaboration. Start building your community from the outset by folding other brands into
your grand opening plans.