If you own a retail store, making your facilities easily accessible to senior citizens will allow you to take advantage of this powerful buying sector. However, if elderly people don’t feel safe or comfortable going into your store, regardless of how much they might like what you’re doing or what you’re selling, you’re going to miss out on a lot of money.
To help you learn how you can cut down on these barriers to entry, here are three ways to keep your store safe for your elderly customers.
Keep The Floor Clear And Dry
One of the most important things to consider when you’re wanting to appeal to an older demographic is safety. If people don’t feel like your store is safe for them, they aren’t going to want to come into your establishment. And often, if people have a bad experience once, they’re unlikely to give your store a second chance.
Knowing this, you’ll want to do everything in your power to keep your store as safe as possible, especially when it comes to the flooring. Ideally, you should always have your floor clear and dry. This means that any spills get cleaned up immediately, there are no tripping hazards on the ground, and that your aisles aren’t too cramped that too many people in that space creates a falling hazard. If you need some ideas about floor safety, consider visiting an assisted living facility to see how they do things.
Don’t Make Shelves Too High Or Too Low
For an older demographic, having the shelves of your store at the right height can make a huge difference. You don’t want to have to have your elderly patrons have to reach too high or too low for the items they need. So to help them with this, make sure your items that are focused at this demographic are right in the middle of your shelf height.
Along with this, Jeremy of JustBusinessTips.com advises that you also make sure to have adequate lighting in your store, as it can sometimes be hard for elderly people to see what they need or read necessary labels if the lighting in your store is too dim or not focused on the right areas.
Provide Some Seating Options
Another thing that can help elderly people feel safe and welcomed in your store is to have some seating options available. For some older people, walking through the aisles of a store can be very physically draining. Additionally, if they get a phone call or need to consult a list, doing these things while sitting down can be more convenient. And because Geoff Gross, a contributor to Retail Customer Experience, shares that since 75 percent of people 70 years of age and older express wanting seating options at the place they shop, including this in your layout can only be to your benefit.
If you want to ensure that your elderly customers feel safe and well taken care of when they visit your store, consider using the tips mentioned above to learn how you can accomplish this.
