MEDIA RELEASE
22 December 2020
Image included: Chris Macdonald, SafeGroup Strategic Sales Director
Retailers will need COVID-19 disinfection for months to come despite mass vaccination, says top bio-hazard cleaning firm
Every crisis has a crunch point. For retailers seeking to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, that crunch point has been Christmas, says Chris Macdonald, SafeGroup's Strategic Sales Director.
Retailers are desperate for stores to stay open in the Christmas period where they can be, not least because those in the most affluent region of the UK, London and the South East, have been closed by being placed in Tier 4.
This has placed even more importance on keeping open shops outside Tier 4, and giving maximum reassurance to customers and staff about COVID-19 security, said Macdonald at SafeGroup.
The soft FM specialist is one of the leading providers of COVID-19 disinfection services. It is responsible, for example, for carrying out COVID-19 cleaning of three-quarters of all London buses operated by Transport for London.
"Customers and sales staff must be reassured that all is being done to protect them," says Macdonald. "Retailers respect that logistics staff deserve the same protection. If a distribution centre closes, there is nothing to sell, and the same centres fulfill online sales."
A good example is Radley, the UK manufacturer and retailer of high quality bags and accessories. In November, with the Christmas sales period fast approaching, it realised it needed to reduce the risk of stores having to temporarily close for COVID-19-related deep cleaning.
As a result, it has commissioned SafeGroup to carry out regular disinfection spraying in all its stores outside Tier 4, and in the company's 50,000 sq ft warehouse in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
Kevin Morris, Head of Retail at Radley, says:"We've planned on a two-month treatment program along with that of our distribution centre and I am happy to say that, to date, we have had no instances where anyone has caught Covid-19 whilst being in one of our stores or working in our distribution centre."
Chris Macdonald adds: "All these sites now have the best COVID-19 protection on the market. Staff are reassured that protection is in place. As are customers, thanks to the prominent display in all stores of our certificate of disinfection.
"If a store is now linked to a case of COVID-19, for example through the test and trace programme, the appropriate response is for it to be cleaned thoroughly by in-house cleaners, not closed for a deep clean."
For a retailer of luxury goods that wants customers to feel comfortable making high value purchases, this approach is particularly valuable. It wants customers to feel looked after. With lower volume sales, every ring of the till counts.
For another retailer with a strong presence on the high street and online, SafeGroup is providing a full planned COVID-19 protection service for its warehouses and online sales fulfillment centres and a reactive service for its stores.
These are decisions based on nuanced judgements, taking into account specific retailing styles as well as customer needs and expectations, says Macdonald.
He adds: "What is very important is that our customers can have confidence in the service we are providing. Our operatives are carefully selected and trained. They wear appropriate high quality PPE, including full body suits, gloves, goggles and masks. This protects them and reassures client teams that the disinfection we are carrying out is a serious process.
"We use electrostatic spray equipment. It creates a super-fine ionized spray that clings effectively to all surfaces so provides much better coverage than conventional fogging.
"Also, we use Zoono, one of the best COVID-19 disinfectants on the market. It has been laboratory tested and proved to provide long-lasting protection against Coronaviruses and other pathogens, destroying them on contact."
The start of COVID-19 vaccination adds a new dimension. While hugely welcomed, it is by no means an instant solution. It is a huge logistical task. Only time will tell if the protection promised will be delivered.
Chris Macdonald said: "For these reasons, we expect demand for COVID-19 preventative disinfection to grow in 2021, not subside. The protection it provides for staff, customers and business continuity, the wellbeing it spreads, and its relatively low application cost, will make it attractive to retailers.
"The pandemic has also changed our attitudes to cleanliness. Staff and customers now have higher expectations. They will demand cleaner and better protected work and public spaces. COVID-19, as a threat, will be with us for a long time. Other viruses and pandemics will follow on behind. The landscape for cleaning and hygiene has changed."
The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, wants to use the NHS's new testing capability to tackle other infections previously considered endemic. SafeGroup believes this approach is very likely to raise hygiene expectations further still.
Chris Macdonald says: "Retailers already realise they need to up their games to stay relevant and attractive when more people are switching to online shopping. In the post COVID-19 world, maintaining a truly hygienic retail space and experience could prove to be a vital necessity."
Ends
For more information, contact Andy Comber
07889 630440
ac@matm.co.uk
About SafeGroup
SafeGroup provides integrated emergency soft FM and specialist waste management services. It previously operated under three brands, CleanSafe, WasteSafe, and PestSafe.
The company operates four depots, nationally, and operates in all commercial and industrial sectors, including healthcare, transport, logistics, construction, manufacturing and education.
Key services include COVID-19 cleaning, fire and flood cleaning and waste management, crime scene cleaning, fly-tip clearance, hazardous waste removal and advanced pest solutions, including pest proofing.