Optical Store Movers in Jeddah
An optical store combines three things that are awkward to move together: large panes of glass, calibrated instruments that fail silently when knocked, and a thousand small high-value frames that are easy to lose. Each needs different packing and a different form of accounting, which is why we move optical stores against a written inventory taken before anything is wrapped, with a price written down after a free survey.
Three categories, three methods
The mistake we see is treating the store as a single unit. In reality it is three kinds of content: large fragile glass, precise calibrated electronics, and small stock with very high value per item. The weight of the glass, the sensitivity of the instruments and the sheer count of the frames are three separate problems, and one plan does not solve all three.
So we split the work into three parallel operations: a team on the display cases and glazing, a team on the instruments once the supplier terms are confirmed, and one person dedicated to the inventory who counts frames into numbered crates. That split prevents the chaos that follows when everyone tries to do everything at once.
The inventory is not a formality. A single frame can be worth several hundred riyals and a mid-sized store can hold more than a thousand of them. Counting them after arrival with no prior list means you will never know whether anything is missing, and you will have nothing to point to if it is.
- Print a stock inventory before moving day and use it as the reference for sign-off.
- Count displayed frames separately from back-stock.
- Photograph the inside of every case before emptying it so the merchandising can be rebuilt.
Display cases and glazing
An optical display case is usually thick glass panels set into a metal or timber frame, often with internal lighting and mirrors. Glass is very strong in compression and very weak in bending, which is why panels break while being carried rather than when dropped.
The rule we work to: every pane is carried upright on its long edge, with a hand at each edge rather than one in the middle, and transported upright and strapped to the truck wall. Nothing is placed on top of glass however light it looks, and glass never lies flat on a truck floor.
We take panes out of their frames where that is possible, wrap each in foam and then double-walled card, and label them clearly. Cases fixed to the floor or wall are photographed from three angles before dismantling so they can be rebuilt exactly as they were.
Glass panels
Removed from frames, foam and card wrapped, carried and transported upright.
Mirrors
Upright and strapped, with nothing ever placed on top.
Lighting
Strips and drivers removed and wrapped separately from the carcass.
Documentation
Every unit photographed from three angles before dismantling.
Lens edgers and examination instruments
A lens edger, an auto-refractometer and a tonometer are calibrated instruments. Calibration means their accuracy is set against a reference, and a hard knock can take them out of that setting without leaving a crack or a scratch. The instrument looks perfectly fine and gives wrong readings, which is the worst possible outcome in an optical store.
So the first rule is to check the service contract or the supplier before the move. Some suppliers require their own technicians to remove, transport and recalibrate the equipment for the warranty to stand, and others require recalibration after any move. Knowing that in advance avoids an argument and an unbudgeted cost later.
What we do move is crated with foam on every face and secured in the truck so it cannot slide and nothing is placed on it. If the original carton still exists it is always the best option, because its internal foam is shaped to that machine. Lens edgers also hold a water tank and pump: the tank is drained and dried before the move so water cannot reach the control board in transit.
Counting frames, lenses and stock
Frames travel in their original cases where they exist, or in crates divided with card partitions. The common mistake is tipping them into one large box, where the arms tangle and the hinges bend — and a bent frame cannot be sold.
We number the crates by brand or by the case they came from, and write the piece count on the outside. On arrival each crate is opened and counted in front of a representative of the store before anything is signed. It takes longer, and it is the only way to protect both sides.
Finished and semi-finished lenses travel in their original numbered boxes and are never decanted. Any lens belonging to a live customer order is separated into its own box marked with that customer name, because losing it means losing a customer rather than losing a lens.
- Never pool frames into one large box — use partitions.
- Write the count on the outside of each crate and sign for it on arrival.
- Isolate live customer orders in their own named boxes.
What an optical store move costs
Pricing follows volume, floors and lift access, with dismantling and reassembly added for the display cases.
| Move size | Estimated price (SAR) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup / single items | 80 – 250 | One or two pieces inside Jeddah, loading and unloading |
| Studio or single room | 350 – 600 | Dismantling, packing, loading, transport, reassembly |
| Two-bedroom flat | 500 – 900 | Full crew with a closed truck |
| Three-bedroom flat | 800 – 1,400 | Larger crew and extended packing |
| Four to five bedrooms | 1,200 – 1,900 | Sometimes two days depending on floors |
| Small villa | 1,500 – 2,500 | More than one truck and an extended crew |
| Large villa | 2,500 – 4,000 | Scheduled over two days with full packing |
Prices are estimates and are fixed after a free survey. The agreed figure is written down before work starts and does not change afterwards.
Dismantling and reassembly items:
| Item | Estimated price (SAR) |
|---|---|
| Bedroom dismantling and reassembly | 150 – 300 |
| Sliding or IKEA wardrobe | 100 – 250 |
| Aluminium kitchen | 200 – 400 |
| Whole-flat package | 400 – 900 |
The package covers dismantling and reassembly only; transport is priced separately using the table above.
The full list is on our Jeddah moving prices page, and packing materials on our packing services page.
How moving day runs
Survey and inventory
We list the cases and instruments and agree how the stock will be counted.
Emptying displays
Cases are emptied first and frames packed into numbered, counted crates.
Instruments
Disconnected, drained and crated, after the supplier terms have been checked.
Glazing
Panes removed, wrapped and carried upright to the truck.
Carcasses and furniture
Fixed cases dismantled after photography, reception furniture loaded.
Reinstallation
Display cases are rebuilt first, then the instruments are set in their final positions.
Count and handover
Crates are counted in front of the store representative and signed before the crew leaves.
What usually delays reopening
Delays in optical stores are rarely caused by the furniture. The two most common causes are waiting for the supplier technician to recalibrate, and rebuilding the display merchandising from scratch.
The first is solved by booking the technician a week before the move rather than after it. The second is solved by photographs: if every case was photographed inside before it was emptied, your team rebuilds the display in hours instead of days of trial and error.
The third and least obvious cause is lighting. Lighting in an optical store is not decoration — it is what makes lenses and frames show their true colour. If the new unit has different lighting, plan for it before you open rather than after the first customer complaint.
Moving inside shopping malls
Many optical stores in Jeddah sit inside shopping malls, and malls have rules: fixed hours for goods in and out, a service entrance separate from the public one, a goods lift with limited dimensions, and sometimes a permit from mall management.
Start that coordination several days ahead. Arriving with a truck at a service entrance without a permit means a long wait or a flat refusal, and a goods lift that is too small for long glass panels needs to be discovered at the survey rather than on the day.
If a pane will not fit the goods lift, the alternatives are the stairs with a larger team or removing the pane from its frame where the construction allows. We establish that at the survey, because a surprise on the day means postponing the whole move.
- Book the service entrance and goods lift with mall management several days ahead.
- Measure the goods lift door and height before planning long panel moves.
- Ask about permitted goods-handling hours — many malls prohibit them during trading.
Storage between two units
If the new unit is still being fitted out, the cases and stock go into a closed warehouse. Glass is stored upright on racks rather than flat, and frames stay in their numbered crates away from direct heat, which softens some plastics and distorts the frame shape.
| Stored volume | Monthly rent (SAR) |
|---|---|
| One to two rooms | 150 – 300 |
| A full flat of furniture | 250 – 450 |
| A villa of furniture | 400 – 800 |
Storage is billed monthly under a written agreement, and warehouse access is by appointment.
More on our Jeddah storage page.
Mistakes in optical store relocations
- Transporting glass flat. It travels upright on its edge, strapped, every time.
- Pooling frames into one box. Hinges bend and a bent frame will not sell.
- Moving instruments without checking the supplier. The warranty may lapse or a recalibration may be needed that nobody booked.
- Not photographing the displays before emptying. Rebuilding without photographs takes days.
- Leaving water in the lens edger. It reaches the control board in transit.
And the biggest administrative error: not taking a stock inventory before the move. Without a prior list there is simply no way to establish whether anything went missing.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Where possible we remove the panes from their frames, wrap them in foam and double-walled card, and carry them upright and strapped.
Yes, after checking the supplier terms. Some suppliers require their own technicians to remove and recalibrate the equipment for the warranty to stand.
With a written inventory before packing, numbered crates marked with their count, and a count in front of your representative before sign-off.
From SAR 800 depending on the number of cases, instruments and floors, written down after a free survey.
Yes, and we prefer it in malls, which usually restrict goods handling during trading hours anyway.
They are isolated in boxes marked with the customer name and handed to one named person.
Yes, after photographing them from three angles so they can be rebuilt exactly as they were.
Yes, in a closed warehouse with glass stored upright on racks, from SAR 250 a month.
Someone from the store should be present at packing and at handover to sign the numbered lists.
Yes, with no fee, in person or by photos and video on WhatsApp.
Book a free survey today
Send photos on WhatsApp and get a written, itemised quote before you commit — the survey costs nothing.