Bob Arora (The Reset Team): Growth and Expansion

Welcome to the Retail Insider Video Interview Series. I'm your host, Craig Patterson, and we're joined here today with a special guest. This is Bob Aurora of the Reset Team, and we're going to be taking a look behind the scenes of retail. Bob's got experience of over two decades in the industry.

He's a national partner specializing in retail merchandising, fixture installations, store resets, and large-scale execution. Welcome, Bob. Thanks for having me, Craig. Great to be here.

Now, Bob, for those that may not know the Reset Team, can you start by explaining what you do and who you work with? So the Reset Team is a national execution partner for many of Canada's largest retailers. We specialize in merchandising, fixture installation, and executing complex rollouts nationwide. We're based in Markham, Ontario, but we operate nationally.

and we support major brands like Home Depot, Walmart, Pet Value, PetSmart and others. And we've executed thousands of projects there. Now let's go back to the beginning. You founded the Reset team after working in merchandising.

And what was the moment that led you to realize that you needed to start your own business? The merchandising business was called Mountain Marketing. And we were all about traditional merchandising vendor rep. We were doing planogram maintenance, demonstrations on the weekends.

We were training store staff. However, I kept noticing a big critical gap. Retailers needed specialized help with the work that came before merchandising even began. So, you know, moving fixtures and installing signage and managing the new layouts, that's a completely different skill set.

So in 2009, we launched the Reset Team to specifically handle this specialized type of war. And it just took off. So by 2012, we rolled everything up under the Reset Team banner. and became the full service partner that we are today.

Let's talk about the company today. When retailers bring you in to their operations to do things, what kinds of projects are you most often leading? So most often we're leading complex, large-scale retail projects, such as remodels and relocations, and usually tied to national rollouts or grand reopenings. And these are the types of projects where precision execution is absolutely critical.

The ultimate goal is to standardize the consumer experience across all their locations. So ensuring fixtures are in place, the signage is aligned, the products are merchandised, and really the aisles are ready when the doors open in the morning. What's the difference between the merchandising work that retailers are familiar with and the fixture and reset work that your team specializes in? Traditional merchandising when I started was very tactical.

is focused on stock shelves and following planograms. And that's still vital, but the fixture and reset work is about setting up the environment itself. It involves moving and setting heavy fixtures, implementing entirely new store layouts. And really having the right partner to perform this work takes the pressure off of the retailer's internal store teams.

And since our crews are specialized, typically the job gets done faster and with fewer errors And it sounds like retailers are relying on you much earlier in the process now not just when the shelves are being stocked That right So we there right from the beginning to the end Let's talk a little more about scale, precision and differentiation. You talk about blending scale and precision. What does that actually look like in the field? For us, you know, blending scale with precision means giving the retailer the ability to execute multiple projects simultaneously, far beyond what their internal store teams could realistically take on.

But precision also means safety and communication are non-negotiable. We support that with real-time reporting. So clients always know what's happening across all the locations. We found many companies can put bodies into stores, but we only deploy specialized crews.

So every site receives the same level of disciplined execution. Many retailers also are using, I guess, piecemeal or they're piecing together regional contractors. Why is a national partner often or probably always a better choice? The core reason is consistency.

If you've got multiple regional contractors working on a national program, inevitably you're going to end up with different quality standards, uneven work. And then for the head office, far more management headaches. I think one dedicated national partner solves all of that. You get one point of contact, you get one standard across the country, and you get crews that are really trained the same way.

When you're scaling nationally, even small, minor inconsistencies can become big problems. So having that uniform quality from the outset is key. Let's talk about some specific examples. I don't mean necessarily a specific retailer because there could be some confidentiality there.

But can you share an example of, I guess, a rollout where precision really made the difference? A recent example was the national rollout of new smartphone display tables. and it was tied to a major product launch. So we had to upgrade over 100 stores within a very tight time frame.

And the client required every single element to be installed in a very particular, intricate manner. So there was really zero room for error. Any deviation would have affected the brand experience and the client's expectations. So we developed a detailed playbook for our teams on executing every step.

And it was great. We ended up delivering the project on schedule and the client specifically commented on how the project was consistent across all their locations. So I think that illustrates really well how precision execution matters, especially in high stakes launches. That consistency is really important for brands because if they don't have it, it can lead to, I guess, problems or I guess a lack of inconsistency.

Consistency is what the customer expects. Let's talk a bit more about people, training and culture. You operate with distributed teams across the country. How do you maintain consistent standards from coast to coast?

I think it really starts with our people. We really invest heavily in training and mentorship and the culture that sets the expectations for how we work. Our leaders of course are empowered to make decisions in the field but they unified by the same core standards and the communication formats and the performance expectations I think when your team understands the why behind the work and they feel supported by strong leadership, I think consistency just becomes natural. What does training look like for new team members to get that consistency and how important is specialization in getting this work right?

For us, specialization is essential. Our crews are trained for specific tasks, not for generalized labor. So for training, we've developed a comprehensive library of handbooks, videos, quizzes, and tests to keep people aligned when they're working remotely. However, you know, the true magic and most crucial element is the hands-on skill development that happens in the field face-to-face.

Let's talk a bit about technology and reporting. Technology is playing a bigger role in retail execution. How has it changed the way that you deliver projects at the reset team? Technology, you know, underpins both of our scheduling and our reporting.

For scheduling, for example, our people can log into the platform, set their availability. So when we're trying to build crews, we can do it very efficiently without having to call dozens and dozens of associates to find out. On the delivery side, you know, tools like digital checklists and photo verification are instrumental. They keep the work consistent and it radically reduces errors.

If something's off track, the technology allows us to flag it and fix it immediately. The tech doesn't replace any of our skilled people. It just makes them more effective. I mean, technology has made things so much easier for so many.

And it's, anyways, it's fascinating to hear this with merchandising. And we'll talk a bit more about retail trends here in store environments. So you've watched store environments evolve over the years. How has merchandising layout changed since you first started?

When I first entered the industry, merchandising was mostly tactical. It focused on basics like stock shelves and planogram compliance. Now it's part of a much larger strategy. The focus is on creating consistent brand experiences, aligning quickly with marketing campaigns and reacting instantly to changes.

The store environment has become much more dynamic. I think speed and flexibility matter more now than ever before. Have you seen any trends recently in fixture strategy, signage, or store design that retailers are really leaning into right now? We're really seeing a push towards flexibility.

Retailers are really emphasizing fixtures that can be moved quickly to support seasonal offerings or special collaborations or some limited time concepts. So stores are no longer just rows and rows of shelves. I think they're shifting towards more engaging, brand-driven experiences. I think whether they're in Vancouver or Toronto or Halifax, shoppers expect the stores to be both local and consistent.

Talk a bit more about scaling nationally and even some common mistakes. If a mid-sized retailer came to you and said, we want to scale across Canada, where should they start? I think they need to plan for scalability and consistency right from the start I think growing regionally is one thing but nationally even small slight inconsistencies can become significant problems that could end up hurting the brand I suggest building systems that are easily replicated across all markets, train your internal teams to the same high standards, and finally, partner with an experienced execution team early.

I think the right partner is going to help you manage the complex logistics, the timelines, and the quality assurance, ensuring that the growth doesn't come at the expense of the customer experience. What are some of the biggest execution mistakes that you've seen retailers make during openings or national rollouts? I think one of the biggest challenges is coordination. A countrywide rollout has so many moving parts.

There's the trades, there's suppliers, there's merchandisers, technology teams, and then you've got time zone issues. I think the common mistake that retailers could make is straining their internal staff by asking sales associates to handle tasks such as moving fixtures and setting displays. And when retailers use their internal teams, they are really skipping their core job of focusing on the customer. So we recommend having somebody at the helm who can focus on all those moving parts and take the complexity off their plate.

Let's talk about the future here. Over the next five years, where do you see the Reset team going as a business? I know we'll continue to grow as a trusted partner to retailers. We're constantly evolving as retail does.

So as the industry develops new formats, flexible layouts, and unique customer experiences, we'll be there to help the retailers adapt. We plan to keep redefining our processes, using technology more effectively, and developing our people. Our goal is straightforward, to be the first name retailers think of when they need execution done well and done at scale. Now we've heard a lot of interesting retail news over the last while.

We've had some big retailers close. Other ones announced they're coming in or expanding. What personally excites you the most about being in the retail industry right now? And what's exciting you about what the future might hold for the industry generally?

I think it's just the pace of change. I mean, stores are just no longer places to buy things. They are experiences. And I genuinely love seeing retailers testing out new displays or innovative layouts or seasonal concepts.

And one of the most rewarding parts is knowing that our team can bring those fantastic ideas to life at scale. Being right in the middle of that evolution, helping Canadian retailers adapt and deliver experiences that genuinely connect with consumers. I think that's the best part of the job. Well, best of luck with everything here.

The company sounds like it's doing incredible work. And this has been such an interesting conversation as well.