Ive been baking for many years, but I am taking the plunge into a retail location. My question is... what is the shelf life of a decorated cupcake? Is it two days? I have always felt the day of, they are excellent, second day, someone drier but still a great cupcake, but by the third day they are not the same.... am I on the right track here?

Well...I would say that 2 days is okay however prefer fresh everyday but 3 days is way too long...start to get dry and stale tasting...and I'm sure customers would prefer and want cupcakes that are fresh and moist.

If the tops are completely covered, they can go 2 days. Or use them to make cake balls.