King of Retail 2 News

Hello, dear retailers!

As discussed a couple of weeks ago, I’m rolling out additional updates to the alpha build and also the demo in this case, in the lead-up to the Early Access launch on the 22nd of May.

There’s a fair bit to go through, so, whether you’re a demo player or an alpha tester, you’ll be able to jump in today and take these changes out for a spin.

Please keep the feedback coming on how 0.0.7 is working for you, and let’s jump into it!

MAJOR FIXES

• Added a Graphics option in the menu, letting you customize your resolution, texture quality, shadows, and more. This should help with getting the game running well on your system, but please do share your feedback on this, as it’s still a work in progress and will see continued iteration.
  
• The entire HQ/Staff management system has received a major overhaul, with a new hiring system, staff overviews, employee negotiations, drop-in applications, and a redesigned scheduling system.
  
• Recruitment has been moved exclusively to meeting rooms in your HQ.
  
• Stores can now be closed down, and in that process, their articles may be sold or transferred to a different store.
  
• Added the ability to sell or vacate owned property.
  
• Overhauled the Use Display and Searching screens.
  
• Skill and personality filters can now be used when searching for employees.
  
• Added beards, glasses, makeup, and additional morphs to the character creator.
  

MINOR FIXES

• You can no longer end the day without an active store.
  
• Adjusted city visuals to show properties with grids, instead of empty areas.
  
• The store logo now displays above the relevant shop in the city view.
  
• Replaced the checkbuttons in both sales statistics and staff recruitments
  
• Added a background to the store schedule when in said store.
  
• After the workday ends, you can select where you want to go; e.g. the city or your HQ.
  
• Added various info texts to numerous screens for improved clarity.
  
• Added dimension view to the Buy Display screen
  
• Added the ability to write notes regarding employees when looking at their info.
  

BUG FIXES

• You can now end the day whenever you want if the store is closed on that day.
  
• The alarm clock now takes closed shops into account.
  
• Fixed a bug where walls going in -X direction would not count walls as being properly looped.
  
• When entering the HQ, you will now always go to the corporation floor.
  
• Customer stats now update properly when opened on the computer.
  
• Selecting a display folder from the designer can now be done with one click.
  
• Folder options are reserved for the display designer only.
  
• You can no longer exceed corporation funds when setting up a new store.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented staff from having very high single stats.
  
• Fixed a bug that was calculating display heights incorrectly.
  
• Fixed a bug where being busy could lock the inventory screen.
  
• The display screen now shows notifications when your storage is full.
  
• Employees will no longer continue unpacking if storage is full.
  

BALANCING

• Reduced the gap for how much a segment adds value to an area.
  
• Reduced the effects of customer’s needs decreasing after purchasing an item of clothing or groceries, now making them more inclined to purchase more.
  
• Staff no longer walk around every time there is nothing active to do.
  
• Interacting with the cash register will open the "Edit" menu if a customer is waiting, skipping the radial wheel step.
  
• Adjusted staff personality traits to be more random, and less quality dependent.
  
• Quadrupled the amount of customers at Max reputation
  
• Random entries are reduced from 20% to 10%.
  
• Adjusted prices on household articles.
  

And that’s all for now!

I hope this patch makes your retail empire-building run more smoothly and efficiently.

Don’t forget to either leave your feedback on the Steam Community tab, or better still, hop into the King of Retail Discord and share your thoughts there.

Remember, King of Retail 2 enters Early Access on May 22nd, and I can’t wait for you to dive in.

Take care, and have a great sale!

Hello, dear retailers!

It’s only been a few days since the last developer update, but as promised, I'm dropping in now to share some important news!



Yes, fellow entrepreneurs. Today, I’m delighted to announce that King of Retail 2 will be officially entering Early Access on the 22nd of May.

King of Retail 2 has been in the works over the last several years, and our release into Early Access is only a brief stop along the way to release. We'll be sharing our full Early Access roadmap in the weeks ahead, but first I'd like to get into what features are currently going into our upcoming Early Access.



[h2]Detailed Staff Management[/h2]

In King of Retail 2, staffing is a strategy game in itself: negotiate contracts, manage moods, and balance personalities to build your retail dream team. Every decision matters, from who you hire to how you handle conflict. Every employee has their own habits, behaviors, and flaws.

Different employees have different needs that you'll need to adjust your management strategy around. Some employees *definitely* can't work weekends, while others respond to getting regular performance bonuses. They're not just grunts, they're real people.

[h2]Powerful In-Game Design Tools.[/h2]

We've built several in-game design tools to customize the layout, feel, and color of your store. New to King of Retail 2 is the Display Designer, letting you customize mix-and-match product displays in a variety of styles and finishes.

[h2]Hands-On Managerial Gameplay[/h2]

Run your shop in real time with hands-on gameplay that keeps you close to the chaos. Manage customer flow, solve problems on the fly, and steer your store through the day-to-day madness from the shop floor.

[h2]Built-In Wiki[/h2]

An integrated in-game knowledge base gives you instant access to guides on everything from product categories to staff dynamics. The Wiki will be updated according to new features, products, and gameplay modes that are introduced during Early Access.

Our Early Access release focuses on refining the core loop and expanding player options. Some systems are early versions, while others are great improvements from the original. We’re building toward something bigger, and your feedback will help get us there.

The original King of Retail began a trend of retail management sims over the years. However, it remains unique in its depth of detail, deeply involved simulated gameplay, and the incredible layers of customization that let players build truly unique retail experiences. We hope you're excited for King of Retail 2 and the future features we plan to develop over the course of Early Access.

It’s been a while since our last update post, and I have lots of things to share with you. Last month, we released our demo during Steam Next Fest, as well as the official King of Retail 2 trailer! I wanted to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has tried it out thus far and hit me with both their feedback and support.

Anywho, let’s dive into the packaged meat and pickles of this update. There’s a lot to cover here, so I’ve broken everything into sections for easier reading:

[h2]General
[/h2]
New HUD - None of the new HUD design or style was in the previous version, so the majority of the UI you see has been replaced. Please note that the game’s HUD will continue to be updated and improved as time goes on, to improve both readability and usability, with further revamps already in the works.

Here are some comparison snaps for you!

before
after

Build Mode - Alright, so, none of this was in the previous version—everything is new. This has been one of the most requested features from you all and is by far the biggest change. Build Mode now allows players to completely rebuild their stores, place walls, windows, decorations, and more.

You can also import your own images for logos and posters, truly making your store customizable; it’s been great to see all the unique designs cooked up so far.

You can access Build Mode during the evening when your store is closed by going to the Pause Menu and selecting Build Mode.

You can’t be knocking the walls down whilst customers are still buying their toilet roll.

Shapes - As an extension of Build Mode, I’ve also implemented the option to add a variety of shapes to your store for extra versatility. Think spheres, cubes, cylinders, and more; any shapes you may need to customise your store beyond the bespoke decorative items, allowing you to create your own props and stylistic flourishes.

These can also be customised further with materials and colours of your choosing!



The World - Previous versions were pretty underdeveloped, so with the new HUD, added features, visual updates, and overlays, the world now feels much more complete and polished.

Dynamic Weather - Before, every day looked the same. Now, we have weather that changes with the seasons (e.g., longer days during summer). This not only sets the mood but also impacts gameplay and store management, which we’ll get onto shortly.

Character Design Updates - I’ve made some additional updates to the character creator as you craft the perfect manager for your retail empire. This includes the addition of beards, brows, and glasses, with room for more later down the line.



[h2]Articles[/h2]

New Articles - There’s a lot of fresh stock coming in. We’ve expanded beyond the usual groceries, starting with the clothing category and, specifically, Men’s Fashion. Before, shelves were mostly filled with everyday essentials, but with the new selection of fruits, vegetables, and now clothing, your store’s atmosphere can feel entirely different depending on what you sell.

New articles will continue to be implemented over the course of development, so keep an eye out for shoes, pants, and more in the near future, just for starters.



New Article Handling - Managing your inventory isn’t a nightmare anymore. We cleaned up the article sorting in the UI and gave product photos a much-needed upgrade, so it’s way easier to keep track of everything.

This is something I will continue to tweak, as well, so please keep your feedback coming.

Trend System - With the new trend system, product popularity actually shifts throughout the year, which keeps things fresh and makes managing stock way more interesting. For example, certain clothing will be more popular during the Winter season where you’ll need to wrap up warm, but their demand will fall off during spicier climates.

Keep with the times!



[h2]Upcoming Tweaks[/h2]

Graphics Settings - This is a big one, and has been heavily requested since the release of the
demo! Soon, you’ll be able to tweak your graphics settings, including resolution, FPS cap, shadows, post processing, and more.

Optimisation is a complicated process, but, this is a strong step in the right direction to help get the game running smoothly on your machine!



Employee Management Overhaul - Currently, employees can feel a bit mindless as they go about their daily routines, so I’m working to improve the management UI to make it more intuitive, as well as giving them more to do during their “off-time.” There will also be upgrades to employee negotiations and you’ll be able to track your employees throughout the day with greater ease.

Display Management - I’ve heard your feedback regarding the display menu, and I want to action said feedback to make the system as intuitive as possible.

First up, you can now visualise articles within your display unit during customisation, so you won’t get any nasty surprises if a particular product ends up being taller or wider than anticipated; you can test these all out in the Display Designer.



Shelf management will now also be displayed within the Designer itself, giving you the information you need, when you need it, further reducing the need for any trial and error.

I want you to be able to know exactly what you’re designing and putting into your store, and this should help with that a great deal.

Of course, please keep your feedback coming!

That’s all for now!

That’s everything we’ve got to share so far, but of course, work is still very much ongoing. If you have any insights, ideas, or just want to share your experience with the game, head over to our Discord server or tag us over on Bluesky or X.

Your feedback is a huge part of shaping the future of the game, so please do not hesitate to share your thoughts and feelings on the latest changes.

As the month of April goes full steam ahead, I will shortly be unveiling the release date for Early Access (keep your eyes peeled!) as well as a more detailed Roadmap of what you can expect in King of Retail 2 for Early Access launch and beyond.

Until next time, my fellow entrepreneurs, have a great sale.


Daniel Fjordøj

Dear shoppers,

Do you think you have what it takes to build a retail empire from scratch? Well, prove it at King of Retail 2! We’ve just launched the demo as part of Steam NEXT Fest, available to play now!

Start small with a modest (and pretty bare) shop, then grow it into a sprawling retail giant that customers from far and wide will come to. Stock your shelves with the items your customers actually want and decide the working fate of your employees.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Every choice matters if you want to dominate the market.

Customize everything—your layout, décor, and product selection—to create a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more. Want to be the discount king, slashing prices and drawing in bargain hunters? Or maybe you’d rather run a luxury boutique catering to high-end spenders? No one’s going to question your choices—unless your profits start to dip. If they do, something may have gone wrong along the way.

And why stop at just one store? Expand across the city, conquer new neighborhoods, and adapt to every kind of customer. Every district brings fresh challenges and new opportunities, and only the sharpest business minds will thrive.

But remember, just like your growing empire, this game is also a work in progress.

King of Retail 2 is an ongoing project, and your feedback will help shape its future. We’re constantly refining mechanics, improving the graphics, and expanding features based on community input. This demo is just the beginning, and we’ll be reaching out to players for feedback as development continues. Your ideas and suggestions could influence the game’s next big feature or fix!



If you want to stay on top of everything, follow us on our socials, especially X and Discord, for the latest updates, sneak peeks, and developer insights. The doors are open, the shelves are stocked.

Download the free demo today and prove you have what it takes to be crowned the King of Retail.

Dear retailers!
A new month has passed by, meaning it is time to give a new update of the world of King of Retail. Things are still progressing at a steady pace, with many new things happening this month as well.






We had another contest this month, and the topic was making the best electronics store in the original King of Retail. Our winners of this month are:

[h3]On 1st. place: Fried Circuits by thatonegirlsparks [/h3]



[h3]On 2nd. place: Fusion Tech by letsi [/h3]



[h3]On 3nd. place: Nextron by lenian[/h3]




It was very fun to see the versatility of the old poster system being put to good use again, as well as just getting to see some well made stores in the original King of Retail. Since all my focus is on the new game, it is rare i get to see the old game. A nice feeling of nostalgia for me, as well as a good reminder of the roots of the new game.

Thanks a lot for all of your submissions, it never becomes boring watching your submissions and your great stores.





This month we will be returning to King of Retail 2.
We were wondering how the future of supermarkets will look like. Nut just in the near future, but very far away. Once humankind has colonised the moon, they will still need to buy their futuristic food.
We assume stores never gets old, and home deliveries is merely a passing thing, so to prepare, we will need you to design:

[h3]An extraplanetary Supermarket[/h3]

This month we will look at the following:
- They will need to have access to lots of variation, so a lot of variety in the assortment will be valued high.
- In a future of lights and led, we imagine lots of lights everywhere. Be creative with the display designer. It should still be pleasant to shop in, so a good balance of futuristic lights and regular interior is very optimal.

Good luck and have fun :)





King of Retail is a very UI heavy game.
Up until now i have been doing all that design on my own. And there are varied opinions on the quality of my skills, which i am fully aware of. :D It is a hard to learn, but an area of game productions that is very important to get right.
So for some time i have been looking to find a UI designer to help with that part of the game.
I have talked with a lot, tried a few, and finally found one who does very promising work, and who also is a pleasure to work with as well.

He will over time overhaul the entire UI, and of course help with future screens as well.
Over the last month we have been compiling a general theme i tried it out on different screens, and here are some of the results:



I personally feel it is a great improvement.
It gives the game a more modern look, without being boring, while the layouts will make things easier to use, and look more organised to look at.

I am really looking forward to when all the game looks like this, and hope you are as well.





Another task i have undertaken this month is to start looking for a marketing agency.
As you now, we have chosen to handle the game 100% by ourselves, and work without publishing agencies.
That means more tasks on our hand, and one of these is to do some proper advertising for the game.

The launch into early access is VERY important to the future of any game. And since King of Retail started as a university project, we did MANY things wrong on the launch of that game. I can reveal on the big launch day, we sold around 5 copies, and it only when down from there. Luckily we didn't have high expectations, and always planned to keep on working no matter how it went.

The initial success of the game can purely be attributed to the streamer "Paluten", who was the first streamer to put it on the map by playing the game and affecting the sales after launch. Without him putting it on the map, Without him, it was not guaranteed that King of Retail and King of Retail 2 would have made it to this point.
So basically we were very lucky with the first game. I of course hope he also played it that much because it was a good game, attributing a part of it to the success.

This time around i try to learn from my experience, and do a proper launch, so the luck is more in our own hands.
But marketing isn't easy and we only have one shot for getting a proper launch next year.

We have taken some courses to learn the fundamentals, but came to the conclusion that doing this ourselves, going through the learning curve and do the mistakes that comes with it maybe isn't the best solution on the one chance we have with the game.

So instead we think it is better to leave this to people who do it for a living. That also frees up a lot of my time to do the things i am good at, which is working on the actual game itself.

It will be interesting to see what happens off of this, and hopefully give King of Retail 2 the best terms to make the best game possibly for you to enjoy :)





Despite the time usage on all the things above, i have of course still managed to work on the actual game itself. I started to work on the possibility of buying more property and expanding a store.

For that i improved sequence that happens when you acquire new property. This might be a bit redundant when the UI will be changed at some point anyway, but until that point we still need something that works properly for you to use.

But this new change mean you can now buy the completely empty land plots on the map, and either build a store there, or connect it to an adjacent store. So finally you can spend your hard earned money on making your stores bigger. And currently there are to limits to the size of the store, so those of you who want to do that, can go crazy.

The above is however mostly menu interactions as it is just plot management. You also need to be able to actually change your store. This is where the new "Build Mode" comes in, and during your evenings you now have the possibility to switch between Store and Build mode.

For now i am making good progress with the first part where you can build the outer structure. You can place walls one by one and shape the actual building itself. You can create overhangs, tunnels, walkways, insets, multiple floors and many other things. I try to keep it as free as possible to not limit your creativity when constructing the building.

When you have the shape of the building, you can freely customise the elements in the walls.
Scale windows to the shape and size as you want, and then place it wherever you want in the wall. Entrances are not limited to one pr. building, so make multiple entrances and exits, to guide your customers more in their shopping.

Painting has also been moved to this mode, and you can now paint both inner and outer walls, as well as all elements in them..



Already as this unfinished point you have the ability to create truly unique buildings, so i am really looking forward to see what it will end up with when all possibilities have been added.





We have also added a few articles to the game. Some fruits and vegetables have been prepared, adding a new "department" in the game.

We are also looking into setting up our own little 3D scanning area. As some things are very complicated and time consuming to model and make realistic, it might be easier to scan instead.
So why not kill two birds with one stone and use things easily obtained from everyday life.
Then we can also eat lots of different cakes with a clean conscience as we need them in the game as well :D

On top of vegetables, we have also just started planning and preparing the clothing category. So soon the game will receive a lot of new articles for you to sell.

-----------------------------

Thanks for following along so far. That was all i had to say for now.

If you haven't already, then



Feedback, ideas, comments are very welcome in there, and much appreciated.

I will return to do some more game making
And until next time, have a great sale

Kind regards
Daniel