April 19, 2007
Chain Store Age: Invest in Restrooms
By Marianne Wilson
Through special arrangement, what follows is an excerpt of an article from Chain Store Age magazine, presented here for discussion.
When it comes to restroom facilities, having an easily accessible, clean and inviting space can give a store a competitive advantage with female customers. Unfortunately, many retailers don’t give restrooms the attention they deserve.
“Our clients typically don’t view the restrooms as part of the retail space, so they want to know how small they can go,” said designer Kevin O’Donnell, a creative director for Schorleaf, Phoenix. “My recommendation is always to make the restrooms larger, not smaller, because while men won’t pay much attention, studies show that women do, and they are asking for larger restrooms with better accommodations.”
While most men think about shopping primarily in terms of “getting in and getting out,” women are more tactile.
“They want to touch things and feel the material,” Mr. O’Donnell explained. “In the restroom, using warmer tones and materials helps create the effect of texture.”
To keep restrooms from feeling sterile and cold, select warm-colored natural stone or ceramic tile.
“Instead of laminate countertops or bland china sinks, install durable solid-surface lavatory systems with large chunks of aggregate in earthy shades that coordinate with partitions and other accessories in the restrooms,” said Jon Dommisse, director of marketing and new product development, Bradley Corp., Menomonee Falls, Wis. “If using stainless steel for toilet partitions, specify a patterned finish for added texture and durability.”
Lighting is key to creating a welcoming space.
“Avoid harsh fluorescent lighting as it only accentuates flaws,” added Mr. Dommisse, “Warm lighting will not only make your restrooms more inviting, it creates a more flattering reflection in the mirror.”
Integrating green technologies in the restroom is a good way for a retailer to take its social responsibility up a notch while saving on utility bills. A good place to start is by specifying water-saving fixtures, such as waterless urinals and low-flow faucets. Other technologies that make it easy for retailers to go green in the restroom space include new lavatory systems that use photovoltaic cells to capture and store regular restroom lighting. Another is using warm-air hand dryers rather than towel dispensers.
Retailers should keep in mind that women are often the caregivers for children, as well as aging and disabled family members. Consequently, it is important to make the hand-washing area easy for everyone to access.
Many retailers regard restrooms as a necessary evil. For female shoppers, however, the restroom offers a yardstick to measure a retailer’s commitment to customers.
“Rather than cutting space, consider adding on,” said Mr. Dommisse. “Carving out a little space for a private nursing area or lounge area can pay dividends in future repeat visits.”
Discussion Questions: Do retailers, in general, view their restrooms as a means of differentiating from competitors? Are pleasant restrooms an absolute necessity for all retail outlets or just specific channels?
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When Ian Schrager built the Royalton Hotel, he hired Philippe Starck for construction design as well as furniture design. Starck’s creation included innovative attractive bathrooms, for the guest rooms as well as the public spaces. Everyone in the hotel business knows that bathrooms count. Most retailers approach the issue by requiring an hourly sign-in inspection and little else.
I remember my what my father always told me when eating at a restaurant: “You can always tell the cleanliness of a kitchen by the cleanliness of the restroom.” With that in mind, most retailer’s bakeries, meat counters, food service departments, etc. tend to make me think twice about purchasing products from them.
I’m a guy, so the aesthetics of a bathroom to me are much less important; blue, green, tile, etc. What matters most to me is the cleanliness of the restroom. I often shop with my 4 year old son, who somehow always needs to go once we get to the store. Nothing turns me off more than a dirty bathroom and to me it reflects the quality of a company and its products. Really, it does.
Think about it for a minute. If they can’t keep their bathrooms clean, how is it going to be if I need to return something or I’m looking for an employee for help? Chances are much lower the overall shopping experience is going to be a pleasurable one. I do most of the grocery and clothes shopping for my 3 kids so I’m speaking from experience here.
Second to me would be size – you need a little room in there… right?
I’m confused on why anyone might think otherwise. As a very young man, I learned service management at McDonald’s. Times have changed, but back then, first as a Swing Manager and then going on to Store Manager, it was an article of faith that the condition of the restrooms was a reflection of the customer’s overall experience. During field inspections, almost every metric had a point value. Restroom quality was a simple one grade (from A to B, etc) deduction. Nothing else had that value.
The variable cost of maintaining adequate and clean restrooms is really a very small number in the operating cost of a store of any real size. Really. And the benefit? What is the cost of a lost sale? Yes. Restrooms are important. They reflect an overall commitment to customer experience and service. Something McD’s in the 70’s had….and did any chain ever have a decade like McD’s had in the 70’s?
Right now, if I had to use the rest room at my local grocery store (which is actually nice in every other way) I would abandon my cart. Nobody wins.
What if…
A tissue company could sponsor a restroom for a month (or other time period), and feature all of its best products in the bathroom for people to “sample?” Or, Maybe it’s a health and beauty manufacturer that sponsors the grand opening of the new and improved “rest” rooms? What if retailers could invest in bathrooms that are both beautiful and functional, and allow manufacturers the opportunity to provide all the accouterments as an in-store promotional tool. What if retailers could leverage this investment to gain returns in certain categories? Of course, there’s the issue that consumers are already bombarded with advertising, but let’s be honest–it’s happening anyway. If it could be done in a way that is tasteful and truly a benefit to the consumer, that manufacturer, as well as the retailer, has a chance to show it really understands the consumer’s needs DURING the need state…everyone wins.
Most supermarkets operators I have met don’t give much thought to the necessity of having a clean and safe washroom. Washroom cleanliness and ambiance is far more important to women than to men. Since the majority of grocery shoppers are women, why operators have ignored washrooms is a mystery to me. As well, many women shoppers bring along their babies to the store. The need for a clean and comfortable environment to change diapers, etc. is so obvious that one hesitates to mention it at the risk of sounding redundant. We published an article on the topic last year. The response from grocery operators was revealing. Many admitted that restrooms had been an afterthought before reading the piece. With food safety being such a big issue these days, it’s imperative that grocers catch up and upgrade their restrooms. It’s a fact that some women refuse to go a restaurant a second time if they have found upon their first visit that the restroom was unclean. Why wouldn’t the same attitude apply to grocery shoppers?
I would like to see the study where it shows customer growth because the restrooms are cleaner, bigger, greener, softer–but my intuition says it is not a differentiator. Clearly, the poll suggests it is a problem but if it is not perceived to be a problem (or opportunity) then it will be a while before anything gets done. Retailers need to talk to their customers more to find out what is most important. having said that, they should have clean restrooms, but I can’t think of the last time I was in any kind of retail restroom environment that caused me to really think about how nice and clean it was.
Supermarkets in our area have come a long ways in improving the location and accessibility of their restrooms but little in regards to making them upscale. It used to be you had to wander into the back room and find it, now they are in the front of the store and well marked.
We were at our neighborhood Lexus dealer and I was very impressed with the restrooms. Everything was very upscale and fancy. The men’s urinals even had flat screen color TV’s over them. I didn’t notice if the were HD or not. As we were leaving I mentioned to my wife how much profit that there is in cars and how Lexus is marketing to upscale consumers. Starbucks coffee in the service waiting room with large screen HD TVs, etc. This would probably be overkill for a supermarket and send the wrong message that their prices were too high.
I think the right compromise would be to have very nice, very clean, warm or at least not cold, and inviting restrooms that convey the message that they are appreciative of their customer’s comfort.
More restroom space is better.
And, if a retailer is going to devote more space to their restrooms, they should take them to the opposite extreme. Rather than creating an ordinary, forgettable space, they should make them something special. They should create spaces shoppers talk about.
A party-planning chain used that strategy. They created large, beautifully-colored, perfumed restrooms with changing stations and other amenities. They then let shoppers know about them. The chain basically said, “We know you’ve got your hands full with your children. While you’re out running errands, if you want to come in and freshen up, or change the baby, feel free to use our restroom.” (Think of it like Starbucks’ “come in and rest” approach, only with restrooms.) The result? Foot traffic and revenue shot up.
A few years back my company used the same strategy. A Manhattan nightclub hired us to create a restroom that would be a differentiator for them. They specially asked for a space that would draw customers to it. We put in theatrical lighting, sound effects, and a wall-to-wall fish tank, among other things. The bathroom caused such buzz that a popular television series featured it in an episode. As you can imagine, that drew even more people to the club.
It’s time that retailers realized just how important restrooms are to their business. A restroom is not outside of the customer experience. It is a critical part of the customer experience.
The condition of rest rooms reflects an unwritten image of any retail store, restaurant, and other public places. A clean well maintained rest room with ample room and facilities are part of the customer experience and it reflects well on the company and management that the establishment is caring, clean, and well managed.
While restroom cleanliness may not be a reason a shopper picks a store, store cleanliness as a whole certainly is important with about eight in ten women indicating clean, neat store as “very important” in picking a primary supermarket, according to FMI research. The restroom cleanliness itself may not be a reason for picking a store but it sure provides a reason not to come back!
Restrooms are a consideration when shopping. Despite their serviceable application, they can be one of the dirtiest, most awful experiences you will ever encounter.
In one area of Florida that I know of, public restrooms are available in all retail outlets. These single bathrooms are always kept clean, well stocked with supplies and have door locks that work – it’s a refreshing experience.
Having a family that includes preschoolers, the quality of the restroom facilities my wife and I encounter is often the subject of conversations. When you are trying to keep two little ones in tow, crowded, cramped spaces are not a big draw. You never know when a kid has “got to go,” so we usually try to anticipate these emergencies by shopping in stores that have clean, kid-friendly restrooms. Given the choice, why wouldn’t you?
Would I like “green” restrooms? Sure, but toilet paper in the stalls, soap and paper towels by the sinks, and hand dryers that work take priority.
Making restrooms “beautiful” is great – but clean, well lit, safe places where my kids and I can use the toilet and then wash and dry our hands will suffice. Some of the very best bathrooms I’ve been in are at the major home improvement retailers.
Some brands really get this but most are woefully in the dark about it. For women, this is a HUGE issue. We see the restroom as a reflection of two things: (1) how clean the company is and (2) how much they care about us. It’s unfortunate that it’s so often overlooked because it’s a small portion of the design budget with huge potential impact. I myself have seen many survey responses that prove this point and BP will be the first to tell you how many of their customers see it as a key differentiator.
This is a common sense issue that means a lot to any woman that you speak to and on the surface it seems almost silly that we’re debating its legitimacy. Men and women use the restroom differently (and women usually have the kids in tow) and every time we deal with a nasty one, we walk out a twinge resentful.
Jason’s comment is spot-on: this is a hugely overlooked opportunity to show that you care about shoppers and want them coming back in the store. Note: hitting them inside the restroom with yet more advertising is not the way to show you care…we’re looking to take a breath and get a little peace in there, not get hit with more media junk to filter out.
Basically, I agree with the above comments, particularly, as they relate to food retailing. Every survey on supermarket importance attributes rate cleanliness as one of the most important factors when selecting a supermarket. Despite this, many supermarkets either hide the restrooms near the doorway to the stock room or part of the staff break room, have no facilities at all or if they do fail to keep them clean and refreshed looking.
Recently, I visited a supermarket and asked to use the restroom. I was told that they did not have a public restroom, to which I replied, “great because I really wanted a private versus a public restroom.”
Restrooms, like other store attributes can provide a point of positive differentiation for a supermarket. Having a restroom is the “ante.” Having an attractive, well maintained restroom with fresh flowers, etc., can be a real differential advantage.
I am not sure if one can use restrooms as a differentiating factor. It is like Maslow’s hygienic factor, i.e., if they are not clean and dingy, it will be noticeable and will be a negative, however, if they are clean and well lighted, that’s how they are supposed to be!
Clean and well lighted rest rooms will go a long way in making shoppers comfortable in a store. In my opinion, anything that would make my customers comfortable makes business sense to me.
We have conducted over 200 retail studies and have never seen a single comment on restrooms as an influencer of shopping behavior.
Restroom and dressing room design are two areas receiving more retailer scrutiny than ever before. They are both ways to differentiate yourself from the competition, and they are both on your customers’ radar screens…even if you haven’t been paying attention. It’s not just smart marketing, it’s a reality of dealing with an aging population that will value extra space and accessibility in the years ahead.
But it’s not just about design…it’s most of all about maintenance! My former employer (Kohl’s) has been fussy about restroom cleanliness as long as I can remember. Even back in the early 80s, Kohl’s management felt that clean restrooms were a point of difference from the competition and sent a subtle message to its customers about housekeeping and service standards.
So after you’ve finished installing the upscale fixtures in your restrooms and updated furnishings in your dressing rooms, make sure to keep that space meticulously clean and organized! Your customer will notice.
Many retailers don’t have public restrooms. Customers that are spending dollars that suddenly get the urge or mothers that need to change a diaper are told to go elsewhere. Many will go elsewhere for their purchases next time. Unfortunately, in the stores that do have restrooms, the restrooms are horribly kept, cold, odor intrusive, etc. This is an issue that retailers don’t get. Especially grocery retailers, where you may spend a longer time shopping. There is a cost of retail space and maintenance but retailers overlook the “experience” factor when trying to draw consumers. Pleasant, well designed restrooms are part of that experience. Upscale restaurants have figured this issue out. Recently, at a meeting in a restaurant, some ladies returned from the restroom to say, “You have to see the restroom, it’s wonderful.” This restaurant knew the value and has increased and supported the image and perception of their business.
No question this is important to women, who make the large majority of purchases. And no question the bathroom is one more opportunity to make a good (or bad) lasting impression. Even small efforts (never run out of toilet paper, paper towels or soap!) will be appreciated by your customers. As you know, a bad customer experience may cost you a lifetime of patronization. They won’t tell you, but they will tell six of their friends, and bad word of mouth is harmful.
As if the business world doesn’t have enough mediums to advertise with, it now begs the entry into public restrooms. What a stretch….
In the restaurant and other food/beverage businesses, a rule was observed in the “Greek” restaurants on Halsted St. in Chicago and the early McDonald’s. The restroom is a reflection of what you want your customers and shoppers to think about the establishment and, more importantly, the cleanliness of the kitchens.
Makes sense to me. Hmmmmmmmmmmm
While I absolutely agree that stores should have clean, comfortable restrooms that customers will not dread using when needs must, there is one thing I would say in the stores’ defense. Customers can be pigs. No matter how often restrooms are cleaned, there will inevitably be someone (and obviously I speak here about women, much to my shame) who splashes water and then tracks it all over, throws paper towels or toilet paper on the floor, doesn’t flush properly etc etc. Short of having a dedicated cleaner in there all the time, following each and every user, there will always be occasions when standards are not up to scratch. Disgusting as that is for the rest of us, and for those who have to do the cleaning up, it is one of those things where people’s manners and consideration for others are simply not what many of us would like them to be.
I worked for a major chain drug store that figured out early that locks were needed to access their bathrooms, as they aided in shoplifting otherwise (the bathrooms were in close proximity to the rear emergency exit). This was *quite* unpopular to those shoppers in the store that didn’t have shoplifting on their mind when it came to the restrooms. Not all the local stores of this chain have done this; one was built with restrooms down a separate hallway that didn’t end at an emergency exit, as well as a Checkpoint system at the beginning of the hall.
Many restrooms in stores here still are in the hinterlands, and some of those being small spaces when found. Within the last decade, though, the newer superstores/discounters have been built with front-side restrooms that are much larger inside.
Even one of our major malls recently completed an expansion that included an expansive restroom/lounge area, surrounded by 4 choices: men, women, family, and nursing/diapering, each in a separate area. The men’s has a nice, roomy interior, that can hold many shoppers; there is always someone from the mall in there or nearby cleaning, so it hasn’t been allowed to get that cluttered/tacky/permanent-smell feeling.
I will tell you a little secret about how a lot of market analysts approach evaluating retail facilities for acquisitions. We go into the men’s room and observe its condition. Then we assume the rest of the store looks the same. About 90% of the time this holds to be true. Saves a lot of time inspecting the entire facility.
I think it’s common sense. Restroom cleanliness is a reflection of the business.
I’ll give you a few personal experiences. I was appalled by the conditions of a restroom at a grocery store a couple of years ago. It was so dirty and cramped, I left my half-full cart near the door and walked out. Not only did I never return to that store, I began shopping at a different grocery store chain. Essentially that store lost me as a customer, and the company lost me as a customer–all based on the cleanliness of the restroom.
When my children were young I stopped shopping at a department store because the restroom wasn’t family-friendly. It was clean but didn’t accommodate my needs. Instead I began patronizing another department store that had a more comfortable restroom. In addition to being clean, it had a comfortable and relaxing lounge area that made it easy to feed a baby in private without feeling like you were doing so in the bathroom area. My husband and I started basing our shopping and dining decisions on how well the locations accommodated our family needs at that time. And, I have to admit, those kinds of things built customer loyalty for us.
Clean restrooms make good business sense. I remember co-training a customer service workshop a number of years ago. We asked the group how many of them have taken long road trips. By a show of hands we also asked them how many base their stops on whether they believe the business has clean restrooms. Almost all the hands went up. And the majority agreed that they usually purchased something during a bathroom stop. They also agreed that if the restroom wasn’t clean, they wouldn’t stop on their way home.
These may be anecdotal stories, based on small sample sizes, but they illustrate a central truth: customers notice. Female shoppers notice. And, male shoppers with children notice. Clean restrooms can differentiate a business; dirty, cramped restrooms can hurt a business.
By the way, I lived up to the statistics. I told everyone I knew about my grocery store experience.
As a female shopper with 3 kids, I guarantee you that bathrooms matter. I really don’t care about color and lighting, I care about cleanliness and functionality. A dirty bathroom is an indication of how the back office and storage rooms look. I have often left restaurants that have dirty bathrooms because I believe that their kitchen is probably also dirty. Paper on the floor and unclean stalls is a major turn off. Stalls without hooks for my purse is another turn off. No one wants to put their purse on the floor of a bathroom. Also, everyone wants the hot water to work. I also like doors that push out, so I don’t have to grab the handle behind someone that just left without washing their hands.
When traveling, if someone has to use the restroom, I always chose a store over a gas station. And I always buy something on my way out. I do believe most women remember places with horrible bathrooms and avoid them if they plan to spend a long time shopping.
Is it about restrooms or cleanliness? Many retailers, especially if they are mall based, do not offer public restrooms.
ICC Decision Services, my company, performs several hundred thousands of mystery shops. QSRs, restaurants, convenient stores and supermarkets are generally the only ones who ask us to evaluate and measure the restrooms.
If restrooms were very important to other retailers, then they too would ask us to evaluate the cleanliness of the restroom.
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When Ian Schrager built the Royalton Hotel, he hired Philippe Starck for construction design as well as furniture design. Starck’s creation included innovative attractive bathrooms, for the guest rooms as well as the public spaces. Everyone in the hotel business knows that bathrooms count. Most retailers approach the issue by requiring an hourly sign-in inspection and little else.
I remember my what my father always told me when eating at a restaurant: “You can always tell the cleanliness of a kitchen by the cleanliness of the restroom.” With that in mind, most retailer’s bakeries, meat counters, food service departments, etc. tend to make me think twice about purchasing products from them.
I’m a guy, so the aesthetics of a bathroom to me are much less important; blue, green, tile, etc. What matters most to me is the cleanliness of the restroom. I often shop with my 4 year old son, who somehow always needs to go once we get to the store. Nothing turns me off more than a dirty bathroom and to me it reflects the quality of a company and its products. Really, it does.
Think about it for a minute. If they can’t keep their bathrooms clean, how is it going to be if I need to return something or I’m looking for an employee for help? Chances are much lower the overall shopping experience is going to be a pleasurable one. I do most of the grocery and clothes shopping for my 3 kids so I’m speaking from experience here.
Second to me would be size – you need a little room in there… right?
I’m confused on why anyone might think otherwise. As a very young man, I learned service management at McDonald’s. Times have changed, but back then, first as a Swing Manager and then going on to Store Manager, it was an article of faith that the condition of the restrooms was a reflection of the customer’s overall experience. During field inspections, almost every metric had a point value. Restroom quality was a simple one grade (from A to B, etc) deduction. Nothing else had that value.
The variable cost of maintaining adequate and clean restrooms is really a very small number in the operating cost of a store of any real size. Really. And the benefit? What is the cost of a lost sale? Yes. Restrooms are important. They reflect an overall commitment to customer experience and service. Something McD’s in the 70’s had….and did any chain ever have a decade like McD’s had in the 70’s?
Right now, if I had to use the rest room at my local grocery store (which is actually nice in every other way) I would abandon my cart. Nobody wins.
What if…
A tissue company could sponsor a restroom for a month (or other time period), and feature all of its best products in the bathroom for people to “sample?” Or, Maybe it’s a health and beauty manufacturer that sponsors the grand opening of the new and improved “rest” rooms? What if retailers could invest in bathrooms that are both beautiful and functional, and allow manufacturers the opportunity to provide all the accouterments as an in-store promotional tool. What if retailers could leverage this investment to gain returns in certain categories? Of course, there’s the issue that consumers are already bombarded with advertising, but let’s be honest–it’s happening anyway. If it could be done in a way that is tasteful and truly a benefit to the consumer, that manufacturer, as well as the retailer, has a chance to show it really understands the consumer’s needs DURING the need state…everyone wins.
Most supermarkets operators I have met don’t give much thought to the necessity of having a clean and safe washroom. Washroom cleanliness and ambiance is far more important to women than to men. Since the majority of grocery shoppers are women, why operators have ignored washrooms is a mystery to me. As well, many women shoppers bring along their babies to the store. The need for a clean and comfortable environment to change diapers, etc. is so obvious that one hesitates to mention it at the risk of sounding redundant. We published an article on the topic last year. The response from grocery operators was revealing. Many admitted that restrooms had been an afterthought before reading the piece. With food safety being such a big issue these days, it’s imperative that grocers catch up and upgrade their restrooms. It’s a fact that some women refuse to go a restaurant a second time if they have found upon their first visit that the restroom was unclean. Why wouldn’t the same attitude apply to grocery shoppers?
I would like to see the study where it shows customer growth because the restrooms are cleaner, bigger, greener, softer–but my intuition says it is not a differentiator. Clearly, the poll suggests it is a problem but if it is not perceived to be a problem (or opportunity) then it will be a while before anything gets done. Retailers need to talk to their customers more to find out what is most important. having said that, they should have clean restrooms, but I can’t think of the last time I was in any kind of retail restroom environment that caused me to really think about how nice and clean it was.
Supermarkets in our area have come a long ways in improving the location and accessibility of their restrooms but little in regards to making them upscale. It used to be you had to wander into the back room and find it, now they are in the front of the store and well marked.
We were at our neighborhood Lexus dealer and I was very impressed with the restrooms. Everything was very upscale and fancy. The men’s urinals even had flat screen color TV’s over them. I didn’t notice if the were HD or not. As we were leaving I mentioned to my wife how much profit that there is in cars and how Lexus is marketing to upscale consumers. Starbucks coffee in the service waiting room with large screen HD TVs, etc. This would probably be overkill for a supermarket and send the wrong message that their prices were too high.
I think the right compromise would be to have very nice, very clean, warm or at least not cold, and inviting restrooms that convey the message that they are appreciative of their customer’s comfort.
More restroom space is better.
And, if a retailer is going to devote more space to their restrooms, they should take them to the opposite extreme. Rather than creating an ordinary, forgettable space, they should make them something special. They should create spaces shoppers talk about.
A party-planning chain used that strategy. They created large, beautifully-colored, perfumed restrooms with changing stations and other amenities. They then let shoppers know about them. The chain basically said, “We know you’ve got your hands full with your children. While you’re out running errands, if you want to come in and freshen up, or change the baby, feel free to use our restroom.” (Think of it like Starbucks’ “come in and rest” approach, only with restrooms.) The result? Foot traffic and revenue shot up.
A few years back my company used the same strategy. A Manhattan nightclub hired us to create a restroom that would be a differentiator for them. They specially asked for a space that would draw customers to it. We put in theatrical lighting, sound effects, and a wall-to-wall fish tank, among other things. The bathroom caused such buzz that a popular television series featured it in an episode. As you can imagine, that drew even more people to the club.
It’s time that retailers realized just how important restrooms are to their business. A restroom is not outside of the customer experience. It is a critical part of the customer experience.
The condition of rest rooms reflects an unwritten image of any retail store, restaurant, and other public places. A clean well maintained rest room with ample room and facilities are part of the customer experience and it reflects well on the company and management that the establishment is caring, clean, and well managed.
While restroom cleanliness may not be a reason a shopper picks a store, store cleanliness as a whole certainly is important with about eight in ten women indicating clean, neat store as “very important” in picking a primary supermarket, according to FMI research. The restroom cleanliness itself may not be a reason for picking a store but it sure provides a reason not to come back!
Restrooms are a consideration when shopping. Despite their serviceable application, they can be one of the dirtiest, most awful experiences you will ever encounter.
In one area of Florida that I know of, public restrooms are available in all retail outlets. These single bathrooms are always kept clean, well stocked with supplies and have door locks that work – it’s a refreshing experience.
Having a family that includes preschoolers, the quality of the restroom facilities my wife and I encounter is often the subject of conversations. When you are trying to keep two little ones in tow, crowded, cramped spaces are not a big draw. You never know when a kid has “got to go,” so we usually try to anticipate these emergencies by shopping in stores that have clean, kid-friendly restrooms. Given the choice, why wouldn’t you?
Would I like “green” restrooms? Sure, but toilet paper in the stalls, soap and paper towels by the sinks, and hand dryers that work take priority.
Making restrooms “beautiful” is great – but clean, well lit, safe places where my kids and I can use the toilet and then wash and dry our hands will suffice. Some of the very best bathrooms I’ve been in are at the major home improvement retailers.
Some brands really get this but most are woefully in the dark about it. For women, this is a HUGE issue. We see the restroom as a reflection of two things: (1) how clean the company is and (2) how much they care about us. It’s unfortunate that it’s so often overlooked because it’s a small portion of the design budget with huge potential impact. I myself have seen many survey responses that prove this point and BP will be the first to tell you how many of their customers see it as a key differentiator.
This is a common sense issue that means a lot to any woman that you speak to and on the surface it seems almost silly that we’re debating its legitimacy. Men and women use the restroom differently (and women usually have the kids in tow) and every time we deal with a nasty one, we walk out a twinge resentful.
Jason’s comment is spot-on: this is a hugely overlooked opportunity to show that you care about shoppers and want them coming back in the store. Note: hitting them inside the restroom with yet more advertising is not the way to show you care…we’re looking to take a breath and get a little peace in there, not get hit with more media junk to filter out.
Basically, I agree with the above comments, particularly, as they relate to food retailing. Every survey on supermarket importance attributes rate cleanliness as one of the most important factors when selecting a supermarket. Despite this, many supermarkets either hide the restrooms near the doorway to the stock room or part of the staff break room, have no facilities at all or if they do fail to keep them clean and refreshed looking.
Recently, I visited a supermarket and asked to use the restroom. I was told that they did not have a public restroom, to which I replied, “great because I really wanted a private versus a public restroom.”
Restrooms, like other store attributes can provide a point of positive differentiation for a supermarket. Having a restroom is the “ante.” Having an attractive, well maintained restroom with fresh flowers, etc., can be a real differential advantage.
I am not sure if one can use restrooms as a differentiating factor. It is like Maslow’s hygienic factor, i.e., if they are not clean and dingy, it will be noticeable and will be a negative, however, if they are clean and well lighted, that’s how they are supposed to be!
Clean and well lighted rest rooms will go a long way in making shoppers comfortable in a store. In my opinion, anything that would make my customers comfortable makes business sense to me.
We have conducted over 200 retail studies and have never seen a single comment on restrooms as an influencer of shopping behavior.
Restroom and dressing room design are two areas receiving more retailer scrutiny than ever before. They are both ways to differentiate yourself from the competition, and they are both on your customers’ radar screens…even if you haven’t been paying attention. It’s not just smart marketing, it’s a reality of dealing with an aging population that will value extra space and accessibility in the years ahead.
But it’s not just about design…it’s most of all about maintenance! My former employer (Kohl’s) has been fussy about restroom cleanliness as long as I can remember. Even back in the early 80s, Kohl’s management felt that clean restrooms were a point of difference from the competition and sent a subtle message to its customers about housekeeping and service standards.
So after you’ve finished installing the upscale fixtures in your restrooms and updated furnishings in your dressing rooms, make sure to keep that space meticulously clean and organized! Your customer will notice.
Many retailers don’t have public restrooms. Customers that are spending dollars that suddenly get the urge or mothers that need to change a diaper are told to go elsewhere. Many will go elsewhere for their purchases next time. Unfortunately, in the stores that do have restrooms, the restrooms are horribly kept, cold, odor intrusive, etc. This is an issue that retailers don’t get. Especially grocery retailers, where you may spend a longer time shopping. There is a cost of retail space and maintenance but retailers overlook the “experience” factor when trying to draw consumers. Pleasant, well designed restrooms are part of that experience. Upscale restaurants have figured this issue out. Recently, at a meeting in a restaurant, some ladies returned from the restroom to say, “You have to see the restroom, it’s wonderful.” This restaurant knew the value and has increased and supported the image and perception of their business.
No question this is important to women, who make the large majority of purchases. And no question the bathroom is one more opportunity to make a good (or bad) lasting impression. Even small efforts (never run out of toilet paper, paper towels or soap!) will be appreciated by your customers. As you know, a bad customer experience may cost you a lifetime of patronization. They won’t tell you, but they will tell six of their friends, and bad word of mouth is harmful.
As if the business world doesn’t have enough mediums to advertise with, it now begs the entry into public restrooms. What a stretch….
In the restaurant and other food/beverage businesses, a rule was observed in the “Greek” restaurants on Halsted St. in Chicago and the early McDonald’s. The restroom is a reflection of what you want your customers and shoppers to think about the establishment and, more importantly, the cleanliness of the kitchens.
Makes sense to me. Hmmmmmmmmmmm
While I absolutely agree that stores should have clean, comfortable restrooms that customers will not dread using when needs must, there is one thing I would say in the stores’ defense. Customers can be pigs. No matter how often restrooms are cleaned, there will inevitably be someone (and obviously I speak here about women, much to my shame) who splashes water and then tracks it all over, throws paper towels or toilet paper on the floor, doesn’t flush properly etc etc. Short of having a dedicated cleaner in there all the time, following each and every user, there will always be occasions when standards are not up to scratch. Disgusting as that is for the rest of us, and for those who have to do the cleaning up, it is one of those things where people’s manners and consideration for others are simply not what many of us would like them to be.
I worked for a major chain drug store that figured out early that locks were needed to access their bathrooms, as they aided in shoplifting otherwise (the bathrooms were in close proximity to the rear emergency exit). This was *quite* unpopular to those shoppers in the store that didn’t have shoplifting on their mind when it came to the restrooms. Not all the local stores of this chain have done this; one was built with restrooms down a separate hallway that didn’t end at an emergency exit, as well as a Checkpoint system at the beginning of the hall.
Many restrooms in stores here still are in the hinterlands, and some of those being small spaces when found. Within the last decade, though, the newer superstores/discounters have been built with front-side restrooms that are much larger inside.
Even one of our major malls recently completed an expansion that included an expansive restroom/lounge area, surrounded by 4 choices: men, women, family, and nursing/diapering, each in a separate area. The men’s has a nice, roomy interior, that can hold many shoppers; there is always someone from the mall in there or nearby cleaning, so it hasn’t been allowed to get that cluttered/tacky/permanent-smell feeling.
I will tell you a little secret about how a lot of market analysts approach evaluating retail facilities for acquisitions. We go into the men’s room and observe its condition. Then we assume the rest of the store looks the same. About 90% of the time this holds to be true. Saves a lot of time inspecting the entire facility.
I think it’s common sense. Restroom cleanliness is a reflection of the business.
I’ll give you a few personal experiences. I was appalled by the conditions of a restroom at a grocery store a couple of years ago. It was so dirty and cramped, I left my half-full cart near the door and walked out. Not only did I never return to that store, I began shopping at a different grocery store chain. Essentially that store lost me as a customer, and the company lost me as a customer–all based on the cleanliness of the restroom.
When my children were young I stopped shopping at a department store because the restroom wasn’t family-friendly. It was clean but didn’t accommodate my needs. Instead I began patronizing another department store that had a more comfortable restroom. In addition to being clean, it had a comfortable and relaxing lounge area that made it easy to feed a baby in private without feeling like you were doing so in the bathroom area. My husband and I started basing our shopping and dining decisions on how well the locations accommodated our family needs at that time. And, I have to admit, those kinds of things built customer loyalty for us.
Clean restrooms make good business sense. I remember co-training a customer service workshop a number of years ago. We asked the group how many of them have taken long road trips. By a show of hands we also asked them how many base their stops on whether they believe the business has clean restrooms. Almost all the hands went up. And the majority agreed that they usually purchased something during a bathroom stop. They also agreed that if the restroom wasn’t clean, they wouldn’t stop on their way home.
These may be anecdotal stories, based on small sample sizes, but they illustrate a central truth: customers notice. Female shoppers notice. And, male shoppers with children notice. Clean restrooms can differentiate a business; dirty, cramped restrooms can hurt a business.
By the way, I lived up to the statistics. I told everyone I knew about my grocery store experience.
As a female shopper with 3 kids, I guarantee you that bathrooms matter. I really don’t care about color and lighting, I care about cleanliness and functionality. A dirty bathroom is an indication of how the back office and storage rooms look. I have often left restaurants that have dirty bathrooms because I believe that their kitchen is probably also dirty. Paper on the floor and unclean stalls is a major turn off. Stalls without hooks for my purse is another turn off. No one wants to put their purse on the floor of a bathroom. Also, everyone wants the hot water to work. I also like doors that push out, so I don’t have to grab the handle behind someone that just left without washing their hands.
When traveling, if someone has to use the restroom, I always chose a store over a gas station. And I always buy something on my way out. I do believe most women remember places with horrible bathrooms and avoid them if they plan to spend a long time shopping.
Is it about restrooms or cleanliness? Many retailers, especially if they are mall based, do not offer public restrooms.
ICC Decision Services, my company, performs several hundred thousands of mystery shops. QSRs, restaurants, convenient stores and supermarkets are generally the only ones who ask us to evaluate and measure the restrooms.
If restrooms were very important to other retailers, then they too would ask us to evaluate the cleanliness of the restroom.