With summer approaching soon, your retail store is likely getting ready to offer some amazing sales. And with amazing sales come plenty of shoppers. While this is great news for your business, the surge in foot traffic also means it’s easier for your store to get dirty and messy. Everything we can do to improve the appeal of the store to entice customers to stay helps sales and employees. Keeping up with your retail space is not only important for your customers, but also your employees who will have a much easier time staying productive and caring for customers in a workplace they can be proud of.
As the Facilities person, it is your responsibility to ensure that your retail store is clean and well-maintained to create an ideal place to shop for customers, and an ideal place to work for employees, all while being a shining example of your company and brand. But before you start feeling overwhelmed, there are a few key areas in your retail facility that, if properly cleaned and attended to, can keep your store sparkling and professional. Strategize now and regularly clean and maintain these areas to save on costly maintenance and repairs down the road.
Here are the top 5 strategies on how to keep your retail store as clean as possible not only for the busy summer months ahead, but all year round.
Keep floors clean and sparkling
The conditions of your floor greatly contribute to the customers’ first impression of your retail store. If your floor or carpet has unsightly stains or lingering dust, customers won’t want to stay or shop, and may not return again. Worn and dirty carpeting or floors is a sure sign that the facility requires more care than it’s receiving, and can be a detriment to your brand’s image as a whole. Keep your floors swept and mopped or vacuumed daily to ensure you start each day of business fresh and to keep minor damages to a minimum to avoid costly cleaning services and repairs later. If your retail facility has carpet, make sure you are scheduling regular carpet cleanings to keep your carpet’s like-new conditions. Commercial facilities like retail stores with moderate to heavy foot traffic should receive professional carpet cleaning every six months. For laminates and other types of floors, look into stripping and re-waxing every 6 months to a year. Regular floor maintenance, in conjunction with daily dusting and mopping or vacuuming, will keep your floors and carpets beautiful and let your customers know you’re confident in your product and brand. To learn more about how our commercial retail janitorial services can help keep your floors and carpets like-new, click here.
Attend to your restrooms throughout the day
A key indicator of the overall cleanliness of any store is the condition of the restrooms. If the restroom is untidy and unhygienic, customers will not only be unimpressed but are less likely to shop at your store. A sanitized, well-maintained restroom is just another way you can guarantee that every detail of your retail facility is representative of your brand. Make sure that the floors of the restroom are clean, the mirrors are spot-free, and the sinks, hand-dryers, and toilets are well-maintained. Create a schedule for your employees to check on the restrooms regularly throughout the day to ensure the trash is removed regularly, the facilities are clean, and that restroom supplies like hand soap, toilet paper, toilet seat covers, and paper towels are always stocked. Or better yet, hire Calico to place a Day Porter at your location for regular restocking and bathroom cleaning. To learn more about how our expert commercial janitorial service can help keep restroom supplies stocked, click here. If your store experiences enough shoppers throughout the day to make keeping up with the restrooms overwhelming, you may be in need of a Day Porter. Learn more about our day porter services here.
Dust shelves and displays daily
Any hard surfaces in your store, especially tables and shelves, must be dusted thoroughly. When you have customers coming and going each day, it can be easy for dust to accumulate on shelves and displays, which may make the products much less appealing to customers. Keep the focus on the excellence of your retail store’s products themselves by dusting and wiping down shelves and displays regularly. Let Calico handle the hard-to-reach areas of your displays at night. Regular dusting will also help keep your retail facility free of stale odors, which will only help to create a more inviting shopping experience for your customers and a healthier environment for your employees.
Keep entry doors spotless
With so many customers entering and exiting every hour, it’s no surprise that retail stores’ entrances can get dirty quickly. But a smudged or dirty glass door doesn’t send the message you want to potential customers as they walk by. Since your storefront door and entryway are the first things your customers see when they approach your store, it’s important you take full advantage of this moment by keeping your entrance door and surrounding area absolutely pristine. Wipe down your entry door throughout the day with a streak-free window cleaner to make sure you keep fingerprints, dust, dirt, and grime from getting in the way of a positive first impression from your customers. Let Calico clean the interior and exterior of your windows and doors nightly for a thorough clean.
Spot clean walls and furniture
It’s easy to forget to keep your walls smudge and stain-free, especially with so many other areas of your store that customers and employees come in contact with. But your walls aren’t impervious to the occasional smudge or scuff from a passing customer. Make sure your walls are kept clean and free of smudges, fingerprints, and marks to keep up with every aspect of your retail space. Regular spot cleaning will also help maintain the longevity of your store’s paint job. This kind of focus also applies to your retail store’s furniture. If your store features seating, make sure you take care of these areas as well by immediately spot cleaning stains and wiping down chairs and sofas regularly to prevent long-term damage. A professional commercial janitorial company can help to ensure every detail of your retail facility is regularly cleaned and sanitized, so you can focus on caring for your customers.
This article was brought to you by Calico Building Services. At Calico, we offer professional janitorial, repair and maintenance, and construction services to commercial buildings in the corporate, financial, hospitality, entertainment, educational, retail, and religious sectors. Our expertly trained and insured team members will strive to keep your retail facility clean and sanitized for every shopper who comes through your door and to provide a healthy work environment for your employees. We offer commercial building services such as daily janitorial services including restroom cleaning and restroom product stocking, floor care, carpet care, window cleaning, parking lot maintenance, and a wide variety of construction services for every redesign or rollout your retail facility requires. We also offer custom janitorial programs so you can make the most out of our expert services. Request a proposal with Calico today and give your employees a retail space they can be proud of and keep your customers returning again and again.
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About Calico Building Services
Calico Building Services, Inc. is a privately held company founded in 1986 by husband and wife, Ron and Kathy Strand. By developing a reputation for quality workmanship and superior customer service, the company has grown organically to become a leading provider of building, facility and property services in the Western and Central U.S. with reach and capabilities nationwide. Today, the company employs more than 900 team members and works with hundreds of strategic partners throughout the U.S.
Our core service areas delivered through the company’s three divisions include janitorial, repairs and maintenance as well as construction. With our relentless customer-centric commitment to quality and service, we serve: national retailers, banks, building owners, universities, medical facilities, government municipalities and facilities managers. Our numerous customers range from regional success stories to Fortune 500 companies.
We are proud to offer one of the most comprehensive and unique portfolio of services in the industry. From day one, personalization and offering mission-critical solutions to our valued customers has been our top priority. Depending on our customers’ needs and requirements, we can deliver our services as a self-performing company or we can deploy a network of Calico certified vendors and suppliers through effective project management. Whether they are fellow team members or certified vendors, we only hire the best and most qualified service personnel and technicians. Each of our divisions are managed and staffed by highly trained and experienced professionals in their respective fields.
There are many reasons why so many companies nationwide rely on Calico Building Services, Inc. for all their building, facility and property services. At the core, and the key differentiator, are our people and their constant commitment to excellence and unparalleled service.
