When freezing winter weather strikes, we’d all like to curl up by a cozy fire, but daily obligations and seasonal winter shopping force us to brave inclement weather anyway. Unfortunately, dangerous road conditions and hazards lurking in retail stores can make the situation worse.
The problem is that winter weather doesn’t tend to stay outdoors. Customers track in sleet, salt, and muck on their boots and shake snow and ice off their coats, covering retail flooring in outdoor elements that create a danger zone rife with opportunities for slip and fall accidents.
How can you combat this dangerous and unsightly mess and create a safe, enjoyable winter shopping experience? Here are a few tips for keeping your flooring clean and ensuring customer safety throughout the brutal winter months.
Invest in High-Quality Floor Mats
If you live in an area that experiences inclement winter weather, including rain, snow, sleet, hail, and so on, this is, frankly, essential. Cheap floor mats can quickly soak through, leaving a rapidly spreading puddle at your entrance and requiring frequent cleaning and replacement (which eats up any money you might have saved initially).
This not only makes your store look dirty and unkempt but also poses a serious slipping and tripping hazard. If you want to reduce liability and improve the look of your store, for goodness’ sake, spend a little extra on high-quality, non-slip floor mats that are absorbent, durable, and designed to hold up to high traffic, even in terrible weather.
Add Signage to Warn of Potential Hazards
Even with the best floor mats, wetness and grime can still be tracked into your store as customers’ winter coats and boots drip after entry. While floor mats can help minimize mess, they can’t completely eliminate it.
For this reason, it’s wise to warn customers that they may encounter hazardous situations like wet floors and advise them to proceed cautiously. Proper warning signs will help people understand the hazard and potentially prevent accidents, or at least show that they weren’t behaving negligently (your level of fault could make a difference should a slip-and-fall accident occur).
Stock Up on Cleaning Supplies
There’s no getting around the fact that floors will get wet and dirty in the winter, but you don’t want that to impact the customer experience. This is why you should stock up on cleaning supplies needed to mop up water frequently and clean dirty footprints tracked throughout your store.
Related Article: Winter Shopping: Maximizing Your Store’s Profits
What Your Customers Will Wear Shopping in Winter
As a store owner, you want to be prepared for everything. This includes knowing what your customers will be wearing during winter shopping. Customers tend to opt for a cozy yet stylish wardrobe to combat the cold while running errands or shopping. Bulky coats like wool or padded parkas offer the necessary warmth and comfort. Trousers often evolve from lightweight fabrics to heavier materials like corduroy or denim, providing warmth and a fashionable edge. Accessories showcased on slatwall displays can play a crucial role, with knitted scarves, gloves, and beanies or felt hats adding a fashion-forward and functional element to winter attire. Footwear gravitates toward durable boots lined with fur or fleece, ensuring that customers can easily navigate icy conditions. Knowing this lets you properly stock your store with the necessary winter essentials to meet your customers’ needs.
In Conclusion
Keeping your retail space safe and attractive during inclement winter weather is no easy feat, but when you spring for quality floor mats, post appropriate warning signs, and clean frequently, you have the best opportunity to maintain customer safety and deliver a positive shopping experience.
If you want to purchase Retail Store Floor Mats and Signage for your store, shop our website, Specialty Store Services. We have everything you need to be a profitable retailer.