“Hmm, a new store, huh. For starters, it would be nice if the aisles were really wide. In our current store, it’s pretty tough even for people to pass by each other.”

“Yes, I agree with you, Mr. Lange. Also, we’ll be dealing with large items like tents and sleeping bags at the new store, right? In that case, I think wider aisles would be a good idea.”

“That’s true. As expected of you, Angel!”

“Hmm hmm, I see. That’s helpful.”

After wrapping up the day’s business and finishing the closing and prep work for tomorrow, I was consulting with all the staff about the new store while snacking on yokan and jelly drinks.

When I went to Mr. Gregor’s workshop and talked to him, it turned out that Gregor’s Workshop also handles new store construction, so I asked them to build our new store. We’ll decide the exact layout after we determine where and how large a piece of land to purchase, but for now, I’m gathering everyone’s input.

The opinions of those who actually work at the shop are extremely valuable.

“Also, depending on the product, it would be nice to have a space where customers can try them out. Many of the items in this store have unique assembly methods.”

“We often get asked how to assemble the low tables.”

“I was thinking the same. The tents we’ve been getting made by Mr. Gregor are quite different from the ones we’ve had until now.”

Just as Lilia and Fia-chan said, many of the products we carry require unique usage, so I plan to include a space where they can be assembled and tested.

Recently, some outdoor shops have spaces where customers can actually see the tents and chairs set up. Tents are expensive, after all, so people probably want to see the real thing before making a decision.

I’d also like customers to experience how easy it is to start a fire with a fire starter, but that’s a bit too dangerous—so no fire.

“Depending on the land we move to, I plan to have a space either in the yard or at the back of the shop where people can try out assembled tents, chairs, tables, sleeping bags, mats, and such.”

“That’s a great idea. All the items in our shop are fantastic, but customers will definitely buy more if they can see the actual products.”

“Yeah, some of the items can be a little tricky to use.”

Mr. Lange and Dolph also agreed. Even from the perspective of a current and a former adventurer, it seems better to have space to try out the trickier items.

“Also, it might be good to have a step ladder for reaching products.”

“Ah, yeah, you’re right. The dwarf customers always seem to be having a tough time. It’s pretty difficult to place a step ladder in the current store due to space, but in a larger store, it would be good to have one.”

If the store gets bigger, of course, the shelves will also get taller, and there’ll be more items placed higher up. In this world, there are races like dwarves who are short, so having a step ladder that customers can use would definitely be helpful.

Fia-chan still isn’t very tall herself, so maybe she’s had her own struggles until now. Once again, listening to others’ opinions really gives a lot of useful insight.

“Also, we might want to consider increasing the number of employees and guards a little.”

“True. The store’s going to be bigger, so I’m already thinking of hiring more employees. As for guards, should we maybe get one more?”

Just as Angel pointed out, the store is getting bigger, and I was planning to increase staff by one or two more.

That said, we’ve got Lilia, a former B-rank adventurer, Dolph, a former C-rank adventurer, and Mr. Lange, who’s still an active B-rank adventurer about half the time—so in terms of combat strength, we’re pretty solid already.

“With me, Dolph, and occasionally Lange around, I think we’ll be fine.”

“Yeah! I’ll protect this store and Angel!”

“Hmm, I think we’ll be okay in this town, but there’s always the chance someone could get sick or need to rest, so having one more might be a good idea.”

As Mr. Lange said, this town is where many beginner adventurers gather, so we don’t really get that many powerful customers. That’s why we haven’t had any major incidents so far, and even when something did happen, the staff resolved it immediately.

But with the store getting bigger, and considering the possibility of someone taking a long break, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have one more guard-capable staff member.

“Yeah, I’m already planning to hire more staff anyway, so let’s make sure at least one of them can handle guard duties. Of course, I really trust everyone here, but as the store gets bigger, the burden on all of you increases too.”

“...Well, the more guard-capable employees we have, the safer the store and Angel will be.”

“Hmm, if you say so, Tetsuya, then maybe it is better to hire another one.”

It looks like Dolph and Lilia also agree.

Still, Dolph really is such a siscon... He’s popular with female customers thanks to his good looks and gets approached often, but he turns all of them down.

Mr. Lange, on the other hand, is the type who actively talks to female customers. Well, so far, he hasn’t brought any trouble into the store from his interactions, so I’m not too concerned for now.

By the way, the only time a woman approached me was clearly for my money. Unforgivable…