Since COVID19 hit, many retailers are forced to transform the way they do business. Uncertainty lurks behind virtually every business decision being made.
Across the nation, the retail sector is in recovery mode as businesses adjust to generation-shaping changes to consumer behavior. Consumers now more than ever are concerned about their safety especially when it comes to hygiene. Shopping centres around the country have now committed to ensuring the safety of consumers and have implemented a national code to ensure the hygiene of its visitors. However, each individual retailer is also required to ensure the safety of their workers and this means a renewed and great commitment to hygiene across retail no matter what the category.
Dominique Lamb, CEO of the NRA says “We’ve seen major disruptions in the retail industry before, but consumer preferences have never changed so rapidly. Retailers need to be thinking long-term about making hygiene in their premises more visible.”
Customers are hyper-aware of safety concerns and want a safe, secure and frictionless shopping experience. There’s a general expectation that hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes are provided as a courtesy to customers – and we’re seeing that consistently across all industry sectors, not just retail.
Dominique Lamb announced recently, “The NRA is partnering with HygiMed because we are seeing a lot of sub-standard hygiene products and expensive stands available to retailers. HygiMed represents the gold standard of responsibility that our members should be aspiring to. What attracted us to the HygiMed Sanitisation System is the containment of hand sanitiser and surface wipes in a solid stand – giving consumers peace of mind they can sanitise their hands and anything they touch in a retail environment.”
“The fact that the stand can be customised also gives retailers the ability to integrate their brand or align the stand to their retail environment. Brand is critical in times like this.” Lamb says.
Some little known facts about hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are:
- Not all hand sanitisers formulations are equal. Sanitisers with 70-80% ethanol provide the best protection.
- No alcohol hand sanitisers provide zero protection against bacteria and viruses.
- Disinfectant wipes are only effective against bacteria and viruses if the appropriate contact time is achieved.
This means that when you are making decision to ensure the safety of your workers and consumers in-store it is important to check:
- Prioritise buying hand sanitisers and wipes that have a high efficiency rate.
- Opt for gel-like sanitiser products as opposed to more liquid forms – they are easier to control volume when applying, thereby reducing the potential of spillage or damage to the floor.
- Your procurement systems are automated so you always have access to a reliable supply of quality hygiene products.
The HygiMed range contains hospital-grade hygiene and medical consumable products and are trusted by the government, major hospitals and businesses across Australia.
One of the biggest benefits of the HygiMed Sanitisation Stand is its accessibility to all retailers. The stand is available free of charge to qualifying customers – which is a boon to any business trying to achieve leaner operating costs and make smarter procurement decisions.
We’ll be living with COVID19 for some time. Especially as the situation in Victoria and New South Wales progresses.
Retailers have the opportunity to ensure hygiene is more visible in their businesses. How brands are seen to help consumers to get through the “now and next” of the pandemic will influence their success in the years ahead.