When freezing winter weather strikes, we’d all like to curl up by a cozy fire, but daily obligations and seasonal shopping force us to brave inclement weather anyway. Unfortunately, the situation can be made worse by dangerous road conditions and hazards lurking in retail stores.

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.

What can you do to combat this dangerous and unsightly mess and create a safe, enjoyable shopping experience? Here are a few tips to keep your flooring clean and ensure 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 makes your store look dirty and unkempt, but it 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, you could still see some wetness and grime getting tracked into your store as customers’ winter coats and boots drip after entry. While floor mats can help to minimize mess, they can’t completely put a stop to it.

For this reason, it’s wise to warn customers that they may encounter hazardous situations like wet floors and to advise them to proceed cautiously. Proper warning signs will help people to understand the hazard and potentially prevent accidents, or at least show that you weren’t behaving in a negligent manner (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 are going to 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 frequently mop up water and clean dirty footprints tracked throughout your store.

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 are interested in purchasing 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.  If you have a question that you would like answered immediately, you can Live Chat, or phone us at 800-999-0771.