BY Jim Dudlicek, Director of Communications and External Affairs
Cleaning represents a significant portion of the cost and time associated with running a grocery store, and now the pandemic has presented additional hurdles for grocers to contend with. One of those hurdles is customers being more concerned than ever about the safety, cleanliness and hygiene of the businesses they choose to frequent.
How can grocery stores reconcile these increased costs and remain competitive?
In a recent webinar hosted by NGA, Jack Anderson, business development manager for robotics at Nilfisk, discussed how intelligent robotic floor cleaning technologies can help grocers significantly reduce costs, restore customer confidence and achieve a consistently high level of clean every single day.
Here are some key takeaways from the discussion:
Cleanliness is king. Pandemic or not, cleanliness, hygiene and presentation are among consumers’ main criteria when selecting a store. Retailers need to guarantee a safe shopping experience, using best-in-class cleaning and disinfection procedures. Taking the right steps will help retailers retain loyal customers, attract new ones and build a strong brand.
Autonomous means efficient. It should be no surprise that floor cleaning is the fastest-growing robotic category in the U.S. Autonomous cleaning solutions can create value for retailers by addressing their biggest cleaning challenges: labor shortages, tight scheduling, inconsistency, costs, and presentational and hygienic standards.
Make cleaning convenient: Anderson outlined Nilfisk’s line of autonomous cleaners that are programmable, hold long charges and can maneuver tight locations. Retailers can easily monitor their progress remotely. In essence, robotic cleaners multiply a retailer’s workforce while ensuring reliable results, optimizing labor costs and promoting innovation within the operation.
ROI is A-OK. Retailers can manage expenses with robotic scrubbing, potentially saving thousands of dollars at a single store location, which Anderson noted could mean savings of millions for a multi-store operation.
Find more information about Nilfisk products and services at the company’s website.
To view this complete webinar and others in the series, visit https://nga.sclivelearningcenter.com/MVSite/default.aspx.
