Owning a store, whether it is a larger retail store or a small grocery store, means you will spend a fair amount of your time considering safety on every level. One place where safety will always be a concern is around your storefront. The storefront is directly located close to pedestrians and passing traffic, and it can be more exposed to the everyday elements. Therefore, you may sustain damage to your storefront or see accidents in this area more often than you do anywhere else on your business property. Here is a short list of a few ways you can keep your storefront safe.
Install heavy-duty bollards around the perimeter of your storefront.
Bollards are vertical posts that are anchored into the ground to provide protection from traffic. When installed correctly, bollards can be a good perimeter marker for a storefront and keep traffic that is passing by from veering onto the entryway to the store. You can find bollards of every sort, but those that provide the most adequate levels of protection tend to be made of heavy duty metal like stainless steel or iron. In the event that a vehicle was to run into one of these posts, the post would likely stop the vehicle from continuing past a certain point. Reach out to local equipment suppliers to figure out what it would take to install an iron or stainless steel bollard.
Clearly warn drivers of pedestrians around your storefront.
People heading into and out of the store will be traveling through the area around the storefront on foot, which means they are already in danger because of vehicles that will also be in the area. Because of this, make sure that you clearly mark pedestrian areas around your storefront. For example, you should have:
- pedestrian signs posted before the storefront area
- crosswalk lines clearly painted on the pavement in front of the storefront
- signs directing pedestrians to walk in the designated areas
Make sure your storefront is very well lit.
People who are walking into or out of a store are likely going to have either cash or merchandise in their hands or on their bodies. Unfortunately, this makes visiting or exiting customers a prime target for muggers. If your storefront area is dimly lit, it can be an even bigger target for people with ill intentions. Therefore, it is critical that you maintain good lighting around your storefront. Instead of just lighting the front of the store directly, keep lights illuminating the entire area around the front of the store.