Retail Facility Maintenance: A Critical Need for Multiple Industries

Retail Itself is a Broad Category

Of course, it includes organizations that sell goods such as clothing, jewelry, entertainment, sporting goods, automotive parts, and countless other needs and wants. However, grocery stores, convenience stores, and others also sell physical goods that people rely on every day. Even industries such as telecommunications, restaurants, and hospitality have retail segments where certain goods are sold in a retail setting.

Because of this, retail facility maintenance must be a high priority for any leader responsible for the upkeep and profitability of those locations. The need for this is only going to increase over the next several years, with numerous brands spanning the sectors mentioned above opening 150–800 stores this year and in the future.

First, it might be helpful to define what we mean by retail facility maintenance. We’re not referring to janitorial, cleaning, and disinfection services. Instead, we’re referring to the consistent upkeep of brand infrastructure. Think signage, building exteriors, interior features, kiosks and counters, brand environments, vinyl graphics, lighting systems, and other related assets. Typically, facility maintenance is executed in one of two ways: via on-call maintenance services or through a preventive maintenance program.

Grow your knowledge: Dig deeper into the differences between on-call and preventive maintenance in this helpful overview.

Here, we’ll explore several retail-focused industries as well as industries where retail activity occurs, even if they’re not commonly thought of or categorized as retail. We’ll share specific challenges, share needs and opportunities, and explain how retail facility maintenance helps to address both. Let’s dig in.

Key Retail Facility Maintenance Considerations

Traditional Retail

It doesn’t matter if your brand operates out of shopping centers, malls, or standalone buildings — every location needs to be pristine and fully functional to impart its desired brand message and feeling. Imagine wanting to browse a high end clothing store but the sign is off or flickering. Does that say high end? What if half the lighting in the store is out due to electrical issues or outages? Shoppers don’t feel safe or comfortable in such environments (thus precluding spending money). Partnering with a retail facility maintenance company will help ensure that each location is kept fully operational and contributes to a positive brand image — and supports sales growth as a result.

Convenience Stores

Convenience stores, gas stations, and related retailers must always exude a welcoming image of convenience, safety, and cleanliness. No one wants to go into a c-store with a worn-out exterior, a malfunctioning street sign, and dim or outdated lighting. It just doesn’t feel convenient or comfortable. To make your brand stand out, numerous brand assets must be proactively maintained — from exterior and interior signage to building facades, fuel pump canopies, restrooms, and interior spaces. Lighting systems must be fully functional 24/7/365 to create a safe space, otherwise consumers will choose your competitor down the street. If you’re a c-store or petroleum brand, ensure you have a strong convenience store facility maintenance program in place.

Grocery Stores

Grocery stores are pillars in their respective communities. Every sign is a beacon that customers look for, and whether it is functioning or having issues sends a distinct message. Also, lighting is critical for grocery store brands. Exterior lighting is essential for safety and comfort, and interior lighting dramatically influences product sales. Additionally, grocery stores are becoming more and more experiential, with wine bars, dining areas, and even performance spaces. Having a grocery store facility maintenance program in place contributes to the success of every asset.

Other Examples Where Retail Facility Maintenance is Needed

• Hospitality — Have you ever stayed at a resort at a certain theme park in Orlando, Florida? If you have, you’ll know that each resort has numerous retail stores. And the rest of the property is packed with other retail opportunities. This is just one example. Let’s also not forget Las Vegas, Nevada. The point here is that retail is a key aspect of hospitality experiences, so whether it’s a space you rent to a third party or it’s your own retail store, investing in a hospitality-focused facility maintenance strategy will be key to maximizing sales and customer satisfaction.
• Telecommunications — Cell phone carriers, device manufacturers, Internet service providers, and more all have their own retail locations to provide devices and support to their customers. The same principles already explored here apply to these brands as well, with even greater emphasis on lighting and electronics performance. After all, who wants to buy electronics from a brand that can’t take care of its own electronics?
• Restaurants — Coffee shops, diners, and many others offer their own retail products for sale in addition to food and beverages. Cleanliness and operability are essential in these areas. A customer isn’t likely to buy a $15 bag of coffee when the counter or display it’s sitting on looks like it’s 80 years old and about to crack in half if they touch it.

Choosing a National Retail Maintenance Service Provider

Even as a national or regional brand, it’s likely that you have a limited facility maintenance team in-house — if you have one at all. Often, outsourcing retail facility maintenance is the preferred way to go, as it allows facility leaders to focus on store openings, hitting key revenue or performance metrics, and other strategic priorities. Partnering with a national retail maintenance service provider will be essential to achieving those goals.

At Stratus, we provide retail facility maintenance services and strategic support for some of the largest brands in the country as well as regional brands across multiple states. Whether you have a few dozen locations, a few hundred, or even a few thousand, our team is here to help.

Leveraging unmatched program management capabilities, in-house signage manufacturing, and a proven network of more than 4,000 field partners across the country, we can help you execute a facility maintenance strategy that keeps every location in your footprint covered — inside and out.

Connect with us today to learn more and to start building your facility maintenance program.