Safe and Sound

Emotions are something we all experience. We can feel happy sometimes and mad other times. We can feel angry, sad and excited--sometimes all in the same day. Yet one emotion we often feel without consciously knowing it is the feeling of safety. Feeling safe is not something we discuss often.

When a someone asks, "How are you?" we rarely respond by saying, "I feel safe." Yet if you think about it, most of us can say that we feel safe on a fairly regular basis. As individuals, many of us don't willingly think about our personal safety and that's okay, but as a retailer, it should be something you think about quite often. Not only should keeping your stores secure and safe for employees be a priority to you, but presenting a safe environment for customers to shop is simply good business. Research by the NACS Coca-Cola retailing research Council shows that customers expect a clean, safe environment as well as frustration-free shopping and consistent value. Unless these minimum requirements are met every time they shop your store, customers leave and often won't give you a second chance. In fact, on one criteria--a clean, safe environment-- the research shows that convenience stores performed worse than any other retail channel. This weak reputation for delivering on the basics creates a vulnerability for convenience stores that aren't keeping up. Just as bad, it may cause guilt by association for other convenience retailers. (Are you dragging the industry down?) Shoppers are clearly saying that better delivery on core needs--with safety being one of them--is a prime opportunity to grow your business. Brush up on your store safety basics by reading this month's cover story. Then you can feel good for not always thinking about store safety every day, because you know you have it well covered. As they say, "better safe than sorry." -Erin O. Pressley Editor-In-Chief/Publisher, NACS Magazine NACS Magazine December 2014