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With summertime around the corner, more people will be getting behind the wheel to embark on road trips and vacations. Last year alone, 45% of Americans planned summer road trips, with peak holiday weekends like the 4th of July reaching more than 41 million travelers. Of course, all that extra traveling means one thing for convenience stores: lots of customers and traffic.
If your c-store appears dirty, you could miss out on valuable business. Over two-thirds of customers admit to walking out of a store because it wasn’t clean, and a whopping 94% will go out of their way to avoid one if they’ve experienced dirty bathrooms there. With a clean store, consumers and travelers are willing to buy more from you — and maybe even come back when they’re on their return trip home.
Set yourself up for success this summer (and year-round) by using these five tips to prepare your c-store for the influx of customers.
1. Clean your gas pumps
Gas pumps are one of the most noticeable signs of a clean or dirty c-store. Because the outside appearance of a business is usually reflective of the inside — customers will take notice. After everything with COVID-19, your customers are going to be especially focused on cleanliness.
So keep your gas pumps (including tougher-to-clean diesel ones!) clean with OTIS Multi-Surface Cleaner. This all-purpose, heavy-duty cleaner significantly cuts down on scrubbing time. Our favorite part? It can be safely used on virtually any surface, making this a valuable cleaning solution for your entire store. Follow up with a surface polish like PROTERO Premium Surface Polish for that extra clean and shiny element.
2. Clean up forecourt areas and sidewalks
With lots of car and foot traffic, oil spills and stains will inevitably happen. But cleaning them can be time-consuming and costly - making it tempting (and easier) to ignore dirty forecourt areas and sidewalks. Well, we have the solution for you.
Fuel spills? Dirty concrete? Oil stains? Check out EXIMO® Waterless Concrete Cleaner. It cleans better than pressure washing, saving you lots of time and money. It’s also environmentally safe so you can feel good using it around customers.
3. Refresh squeegee buckets daily
Squeegee buckets can be another sign of a clean or dirty c-store. After all, drivers won’t be too keen on using dirty squeegee solution to clean their already-dirty windshield. With ORUS® Squeegee Bucket Solution Concentrate, you can provide a powerful cleaning product for customers that simultaneously eliminates slime and odor in your buckets. And don’t forget to replace your buckets with new solution every day to avoid “swamp bucket” and slime.
4. Fix and prevent potholes
Potholes are not only unsightly; they can be incredibly costly to drivers. Fix soft asphalt and prevent potholes with FORO® Asphalt Cleaner and Hardener. Our two-in-one solution uses a process called bioremediation to enhance the appearance of your forecourts and parking lots while preventing future damage. Win-win!
5. Don’t forget the inside
The outside of your c-store is the first impression you’ll make on customers, but the inside is just as crucial. In fact, retailers who prioritize a clean store can potentially increase their profits by 15%. To stay on track, create daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists and include tasks like:
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Picking up trash
- Straightening up shelves
- Mopping and sweeping the floors
- Disinfecting surfaces with 360° Clean® Disinfectant Cleaner
Keep your c-store clean year-round with CAF
Prepping for summer customers is a breeze when you arm yourself with the right solutions. But it’s just as important to maintain a clean c-store year-round. Explore all of our indoor and outdoor products with our solution finder to explore how CAF can help you do just that. Then, check out our resource center to learn how your business can reach a 5-star rating and boost your customers’ experience.
