Winters are harsh. They take their toll on everything from buildings to people. As the world outside begins to thaw, get your business ready to greet the fresh breeze that will come with a clean store. Now that most of the snowfall has passed, you don’t have to worry everyday about the amount of damage people will do by dragging in mud and salt onto your floors, and the first thing people will focus on when they walk in through your doors won’t be getting warm, but what inventory you have. Every year spring gives you the chance to start anew with fresh ideas, themes and layout.
No traces of cold weather
The first thing you’ll want to do is remove any remnants of winter that may remind your customers of the chilling season. You may be in store for some heavy-duty cleaning, but it will be worth it in the end when all your doors and windows are open and the sun is streaming in over your polished surfaces. Everything will come to light since people will be more inclined to take their time and enjoy themselves, so it’s important not to take any shortcuts.
Always start from the top and work your way down. Dust all your high store fixtures and lights before the wind does it for you and clean the hand and fingerprints smearing all your mirrors so shoppers can check out how your selection looks on them. Clear off all display tables, store racks, counters and mannequins so you can give them a good polish to make them shine. Cleaning everything in high-traffic areas is the most certain way to assure you don’t miss anything because, if you do, it could undo the whole sense of cleanliness you worked for.
The last place all the dust and dirt in your store will stay is on your floor. Use a carpet sweeper to pick up all the loose pieces of debris you can before busting out the steam cleaner for a deep cleansing of your carpets and tiles. Try your best to upkeep your floors periodically and not neglect them. When summer comes around, parents may be bringing their kids into your shop, and children tend to end up on the floor when bored. You don’t want them finding anything down there that would make their parents grab them and leave.
Replenish your supplies
Once everything is looking like it could be new, turn your attention to all of your business supplies. Warmer temperatures will bring more foot traffic, so make sure you’re stocked up enough to handle it. Take a look at your dressing rooms to see if you need more hangers, hooks or even lint rollers. Make sure your office has enough tape, labels and packaging to handle all your shipping that is to come. The small things are always the easiest to forget and you don’t want to end up shorthanded during a rush of shoppers.
When you clean your store from top to bottom, moving things around is a lot easier. It opens up the chance for quick changes if you ever want to have an unexpected promotion or sale, which can be a major advantage during the splurge of shoppers in the spring and summer.
