RETAIL & DAYTIME CLEANING Smart cleaning for changing retail spaces


As retail faces unprecedented upheaval, cleaning providers must adapt with flexible, technology-driven solutions. Rachel Chittick, Business Unit Director at SBFM, explores how smart sensors and reactive scheduling are transforming retail cleaning operations.


Retail spaces play a vital role in shaping customer experiences. From luxury boutiques to bustling shopping centres and local high streets, these environments are designed to attract and entertain us.


However, without consistent maintenance and high standards of cleanliness, even the most impressive store can quickly lose its appeal, turning potential visitors away instead of drawing them in.


Investing in store cleaning demonstrates that retailers care about attention to detail. Even small lapses in cleanliness, such as dusty shelves, smudged glass or unclean restrooms can negatively impact customer perception and brand reputation.


Keeping retail spaces clean and presentable requires impeccable attention to detail and innovative approaches in the face of the sector’s period of struggle and upheaval. In 2024, 34 retail brands with multiple stores stopped trading, which affected over 7,000 stores and over 50,000 employees.


With these constraints, organisations need an agile cleaning operation that can offer flexible solutions to keep spaces that exceed expectations.


Flexibility is king


Daytime cleaning routines have needed to adapt against smaller budgets, as retailers emphasise the need for their supply chains to achieve more with less. Consistently, cleaning teams need to prioritise early morning operations, operating in the narrow window before opening so spaces are presentable before customers arrive.


To make operational windows even more productive, cleaning on demand should be prioritised. By becoming more reactive, these schedules demand flexibility; teams need to respond quickly to unexpected spills, high-traffic periods or changing events that can’t be cleaned with a regular pattern.


Tech talk


Logistically, driving greater efficiencies without greater resources can be far from simple, but integrating the right technology can help. Smart sensors represent a significant advancement, moving beyond scheduled cleaning to data- driven cleaning on demand.


Sensors detect movement and even heat patterns to create visual maps of space usage. When activity spikes in specific areas, sensors automatically trigger operative attendance, ensuring resources target all genuine needs.


This intelligence proves particularly valuable for high-footfall areas like changing rooms, where sensor data determines optimal cleaning frequency based on actual usage patterns, rather than estimates. Providers can design flexible schedules that minimise disruption, with targeted cleaning for high-traffic areas, leaving specialist services such as deep cleans during off-peak hours.


These insights extend beyond operational efficiency to provide valuable client intelligence. Retailers can better understand customer journey patterns, informing how they redeploy focus and resources across their spaces for maximum impact.


Sustainability pressures


Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’: it’s a priority across the retail sector. From waste reduction and energy efficiency to the use of eco-friendly cleaning products, retailers are expected to demonstrate meaningful environmental practices.


For large and global operators, this extends to complex supply chains, where reducing scope 3 emissions has become a critical objective. Cleaning providers can play an important role in supporting these goals by delivering sustainable solutions, whether through adopting chemical-free, bio-based products, or reducing plastics and consumables.


By embedding sustainability into every detail, cleaning specialists can help retailers achieve their commitments while maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness.


A people approach


With the UK retail sector having trimmed nearly a quarter of a million jobs over the past five years, the staffing gap has grown alarmingly wide. In response, cleaning providers can help bridge this divide by upskilling their staff to adopt multi-purpose roles.


Beyond maintaining pristine surroundings, cross-trained teams might assist with basic floor support, customer greetings or restocking during quiet periods, bolstering operational coverage while delivering added value.


This approach not only maximises staff flexibility and deployment, but also positions cleaning teams as agile, indispensable partners in supporting retailers through workforce shortages.


Keeping it clean


As Queen of Shops, Mary Portas said: “Innovation is key and the future of the high street depends on community, connections and removing friction.”


This applies as much to the supply chain as it does to anything else.


With a collaborative mindset, flexible approaches and smart technology integration, cleaning providers can ensure retail spaces remain welcoming environments, whatever the climate.


www.sb-fm.co.uk 40 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING x.com/TomoCleaning


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