Environmental cleaning and disinfection procedures are critical to facility safety and are increasingly in demand by retail shoppers, especially during the holiday season.
The Importance of Retail Cleanliness for the Holiday Shopping Season
The crucial holiday shopping season is here. A significant number of shoppers will be returning to brick and mortar retail establishments to shop in person, where the predicted sales are expected to reach nearly $860B, much of that spent on gifts.
According to Business Observer;
The National Retail Federation is forecasting sales between November and December will jump between 8.5% and 10.5% over 2020, to between $843.3 billion and $859 billion.
The average consumer will spend $998 — $648 of that will be on gifts.
And the NRF found that 66% of people, 158.3 million, plan to start shopping Thanksgiving weekend.
While up from last year, that figure is below the 165.3 million who shopped Thanksgiving weekend in 2019.
For those who own or manage businesses, though, the questions shift to the two most important ones: What are people buying and where are they buying it?
According to their research, nearly half of the shoppers will be shopping in person.
- Online: 57%
- Department stores: 47%
- Discount stores: 44%
- Grocery stores: 43%
- Clothing and accessories stores: 30%
- Local retail stores or small businesses: 24%
Source:
One thing many of the shoppers will be keeping an eye on, especially in the wake of the recent pandemic, is how well retail establishments clean and disinfect their stores.
A largely unappreciated aspect of maintaining retail stores, cleaning plays a very important role in the success of a retail store.
According to a survey conducted by ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, 95 percent of shoppers reported that unclean restrooms and unpleasant odors would influence shopping decisions along with, dirty floors, spills or stains, dirty shopping carts and other factors.
Environmental Cleaning Critical to Retail Success This Holiday Season
Recent survey results prove retail store hygiene is critical when attempting to draw in shoppers.
Consumers ranked frequent cleaning and sanitizing as the top (66%) measure that would make them more likely or more comfortable with visiting physical spaces in a survey conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Survey: Cleaning is key to making consumers more likely to visiting stores again
Studies also show that, in addition to high-quality environmental hygiene, shoppers want:
- Provided hand sanitizer (73%);
- Frequent wipe-downs of surfaces (77%); and
- Posted signage of cleaning measures and regulations (53%).
Source:
Why Retail Hygiene Should Matter to You
If you're a retail store owner or manager, facility hygiene needs to be at the top of your list of must-do's this holiday shopping season.
Why?
According to Consumer Reports, cleaner stores perform better against stores rated low in facility hygiene.
The six grocers that landed in our top rating tier for overall satisfaction got high marks for cleanliness.
They include regional brands Texas-based Central Market; the mid-Atlantic's Wegmans; Heinen’s, in Ohio and the Chicago area; Southern California-based Gelson’s Markets; and the Northeast's Market Basket—as well as Trader Joe’s, our highest-rated national chain.
Conversely;
Stores placing among the lowest overall in our ratings—including the national brand Walmart Supercenter and Eastern retailers Tops and Key Food—had disappointing orange chevrons for cleanliness, suggesting that CR members found them lacking on that count.
Areas Shoppers Expect You to Focus On
Ideally, your whole store should be cleaned every day, but there are several areas consumers have noted they like to see immaculate all the time, including:
- Sidewalks, entryways, and floors, which are critical for making a lasting first impression.
- Restrooms, which should be immaculate, fully stocked, and odor-free.
- Check out areas, which should be wiped down regularly throughout the day and sanitized before opening and after closing, and;
- Shopping carts, which should be sanitized outside between uses.
A method that has proven highly effective at combatting COVID-19 and eliminating influenza outbreaks has been day porter services and strategic touchpoint disinfection with EPA-registered Safer Choice products.
These products are proven to kill germs and bacteria while protecting facility occupants from exposure to harmful chemicals.
Takeaway
In-person retail shopping is expected to make significant strides this year, with close to an $860B estimated spend on the table for the season.
Keeping your storefront, retail area, and restrooms immaculate is a proven method for ensuring customers feel safe and welcome this holiday season.
Conversely, ignoring that responsibility will almost certainly result in poor sales.
Outsourcing your retail establishment's environmental cleaning and infection prevention requirements will control costs while ensuring high-quality cleaning outcomes.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia, CA, or Santa Clarita, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale, CA or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756
