A specialist retail group expands through store acquisitions

01. The Context

A specialist retail group had rapidly expanded through a series of acquisitions, integrating more than 15 newly acquired stores into its national footprint. While the commercial rationale was strong, the pace of growth created uneven levels of understanding, connection and confidence among employees. With diverse cultures and legacy identities coming together, management needed to understand how employees perceived the brand and the underlying equity story that the business was building toward.

02. The Strategic Need

For acquisitive groups, value is not created solely through market expansion. Really, it is unlocked when employees clearly understand and internalise the equity story. Management recognised that without internal alignment, the brand narrative would weaken, operational cohesion would suffer and the organisation would struggle to present a unified, credible story to customers and future investors. The CEO needed a clear, evidence-based view of employee sentiment, cultural risks and the degree to which teams understood the business’s direction and value proposition post-acquisition.

03. The Delivery & Value

We worked directly with the CEO and leadership to conduct a comprehensive internal diagnostic across the newly acquired stores. Through in-depth interviews, surveys and NPS measurement, we assessed employee understanding of the brand, the equity story and the strategic intent behind the acquisitions. We delivered a stakeholder insights report highlighting alignment levels, cultural and operational risks, and strategic recommendations to strengthen internal cohesion and embed the equity story across the business.

The outcome was a clear roadmap for building internal belief and unifying employees behind the next phase of growth. With a stronger internal narrative, the business is better positioned to integrate future acquisitions, uplift performance and reinforce the value story it communicates to the market.

All identifying details have been fully anonymised to protect the confidentiality of ongoing transaction processes