The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM), the authority on retail, multi-site facilities management has issued a new white paper exploring the importance of cleanliness and how retail facility professionals can help brands meet both shopper and brand cleaning standards in a cost efficient manner that provides a clean safe store environment for both shoppers and sales associates.

Although the digital revolution has transformed shopping, the in-store shopping experience is alive and well, based on consumers’ desires to physically connect with the brand and its products in a retail environment. With this increased focus on the importance of the store to the shopper, the in-store experience is capturing the attention of retail leaders and there is an increased emphasis on keeping stores clean based upon brand standards.

In “The Evolution of Cleaning in Retail: The New Normal,” retail facilities management professionals will understand:
- The definition of and the cost of clean for a brand.
- Cleaning health concerns, LEED and green cleaning.
- Contractors’ challenges, specifically recent labor laws changes for janitorial services.
- Working with retail procurement and addressing total cost of ownership

Shoppers value a clean retail environment
A largely unappreciated aspect of maintaining retail stores, cleaning plays a very important role in the success of a retail store.  According to a survey conducted by ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, 95 percent of shoppers reported that unclean restrooms and unpleasant odors would influence shopping decisions along with, dirty floors, spills or stains, dirty shopping carts and other factors. "Shoppers want to feel comfortable when visiting a retail environment and ensuring that a store is clean and healthy is a crucial part.",” says Dan Wagner, ISSA’s Director of Facility Service Programs.

“The janitorial landscape has changed dramatically in the last five years. We are entering a new normal for cleaning standards in retail facilities management. Retail brands need to be aware of this under-budgeted area and ensure all stores are meeting brand standards,” states Patricia Dameron, Executive Director, PRSM Association.

To assist retail facility professionals, PRSM recently launched a Janitorial Workload Tool that uses an interactive spreadsheet that uses information about the store and the desired level of clean to calculate the number of full time staff required to accomplish the tasks.