Millions of shoppers head out every Black Friday to take advantage of great sales and save money on gifts, but the huge rush of customers can be overwhelming for unprepared retailers and their employees during the entire holiday season. Your retail business should be a place where customers feel safe to shop and where employees are safe to work and feel valued.
Learn how you can improve customer and employee safety in your retail store or shopping center to provide a safe and positive shopping experience for everyone.
Increase Employee Workforce
One of the main reasons that holiday shopping can be chaotic, confusing, and even dangerous for some retailers is that they don't have enough employees on staff to meet the high demand for cashiers, customer service, or security. If you're a retailer, you need to hire enough full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees to meet all the needs of the busy shopping season.
Although it can be expensive for your retail business to hire more employees, it can be a worthwhile investment since your customers will know that they can have a safer and more pleasant shopping experience, and are more likely to return and shop again during the holidays. Also, an increase in workers will allow your retail store to constantly look its best, avoid having the store become a disorganized mess, and have enough workers available to prevent employee burnout and exhaustion.
Clearly Display Sales Limits or Restrictions
Your retail store can improve the shopping experience for customers and employees simply through the use of clear and well-placed signs that explain sales limits or restrictions. Good signs eliminate confusion about purchase limits, and direct people to the right areas to find specific items.
For example, large signs can be placed near doorways and department entrances to announce purchase limits on big-ticket sale items like TV's, laptops, gaming systems, smartphones, appliances, bikes, or large toys. Informational and navigational signs enhance the shopping experience and set expectations for customers entering your business.
Offer Additional Security and Safety Training
When your workforce is well trained and understands how to safely handle large crowds of holiday shoppers, it can improve the personal safety of employees and customers. Employees should know how to safely welcome in large groups of holiday shoppers, how to deescalate issues with customers, and what to do in emergency situations.
Your retail business can also hire off-duty officers to provide additional security inside your store, or to patrol parking lots and garages to keep customers safe coming in and out of your business. Cameras and video systems can also boost security by deterring people from committing crimes on your property.
Aegis Insurance Protects Retailers
Aegis Insurance & Financial Services works to protect retail stores by offering comprehensive Commercial Insurance policies that protect businesses and their employees. Your business can have financial protection from possible liability issues, and your employees will have resources in place if they're hurt on the job.
Contact Aegis today at 713-850-7622 to learn more about our full range of business policies tailored to the retail industry, or fill out our online form to request a free quote.