EQUIPMENT & DESIGN
Store Cleaning Solutions
Spotless Reputation KEEPING STORES CLE AN ISN’T ONLY AN ESSENTIAL HYGIENIC PR ACTICE, BUT ALSO KE Y TO AT TR ACTING AND RE TAINING CUSTOMERS. By Barbara Sax leaning and sanitizing became top priorities for retailers during the pandemic. Retailers that believe they can relax their standards post-pandemic are in for a surprise — customers are maintaining those higher expectations for a clean store environment and consider cleanliness a critical indicator for where they will shop. In short, store cleanliness has become a deal breaker for shoppers. “The pandemic has put, and is keeping, cleanliness top of mind for consumers,” affirms Lisa Robinson, VP of global food safety and public health at St. Paul, Minn.-based Ecolab. A recent Ecolab consumer survey revealed that 86% of consumers said a business’ commitment to public health and safety factors into their decision to patronize a location.
40 progressivegrocer.com
Key Takeaways Consumers are increasingly looking for higher levels of customer experience in the stores they visit, and a clean environment is a big part of that. Grocers setting cleanliness standards have a top-down commitment to keeping stores clean. In addition to software, other new solutions, such as training and auditing, are helping retailers assess their approaches to store cleaning and clean more efficiently.
Retailers are increasing the variety and frequency of cleaning practices to appeal to heightened consumer awareness of store cleanliness.