As the experts in retail hygiene, Initial understands the fine balance between providing an effective hygiene solution and managing tight budgets.  Our latest blog looks at whether incorrect hygiene practices could be costing you money. 

Whether you own a corner store in your neighbourhood or manage a flagship store that is part of a large retail chain, during these tough economic times every cent counts.  I'd go as far as saying that any unnecessary expense feels like you're flushing money down the toilet. But good hygiene is essential and the impact of hygiene on the customer experience cannot be denied, making finding a happy balance between good hygiene and tight budgets even more important. 

When analysing hygiene costs in your business you should start by analysing how many units (hand sanitisers, hand soap etc) you have on your premises and then start to ask questions with regard to their efficacy.  You might be surprised to learn that in many cases when surveying customer sites, we find that it is your patrons' hygiene habits that often negatively impact negatively your bottom line. 

Don't get me wrong, you can NEVER have too many hygiene solutions in place, but excessive use of certain products could be detrimental to your budget.  Here are some areas you can look at to help you deliver a great customer experience while still guarding your bottom line.

Trolley sanitiser:

In a recent blog, we looked at retail hygiene and discussed how changing the way you disinfect your trolleys can save on costs - as well as help your business be more sustainable.  By using a trolley disinfection booth you can reduce the amount of sanitiser, paper, water, soap and labour you use to clean your trolleys.

Hand sanitisers:

Trade plastic spray bottles used to sanitise hands for wall mounted hand sanitiser units or hand sanitiser stands.  These dispensers are more economical because of the metered dosage and because they are serviced, you don't have to worry about refilling bottles or the risks of cross-contamination.

It's also important to note that the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has recently published amendments to the national standard, SANS 490 that specifies the requirements for all alcohol-based liquid, gel, foam, and aerosols hand sanitisers and hand rubs. Ensure that your hand sanitising solution is compliant - you can read more about hand sanitiser requirements here. You can also call Initial; our range of products meet the SABS standards. 

Hand soap and paper in your public bathrooms:

Retailers often complain about pilferage and overuse when it comes to hand soap and paper in public bathrooms. We've found that wall-mounted soap dispensers are a lot more economical than free-standing, single-use soap dispensers or soap bars.  For high traffic public bathrooms, you may also want to consider replacing your hand paper with hand dryers to minimise wastage.

If you know what to look for, there are a number of things you can tweak to provide your customers with an amazing store experience while safeguarding the bottom line.  Don't flush your hard-earned cash down the toilet, contact Initial for your free survey today.