Report • 09.12.2015
Clean is sympathetic - aids for hygienic retail
Cleanliness where it stands out to customers the most
Fresh food counter and shopping cart: At these points, the supermarket customers are particularly attentive when it comes to hygiene. They do not want to put their products in a dirty cart. And if one encounters leftovers and streaks in the fresh food counter, there is no hope for mercy. But there are numerous solutions which help with the big cleanup.
This is why retailers pay close attention to keep these shopping aids clean. In general, this is done by hand with a high pressure cleaner. That's fast, but not entirely thoroughl under certain circumstances and also consumes a lot of water.
However, there are now more and more ways to clean shopping carts with mobile "cleaning streets" that function nearly fully automatic. These catch the water, clean it and prepare it for reuse. Mobile cart washers, as they are offered for example by Feistmantl, Wanzl, Astheo Cleaning or Shop Box, are brought to the supermarket premises. The cart can then be pushed into the car over a ramp, where it is passed like in a car wash with a band, thoroughly washed and led out clean again. Depending on the provider, the cart will then also be waited and repaired if there is a need.
All under control
With some of these solutions a disinfectant is brought on the handles by hand before the actual cleaning process to free the handles from viruses, bacteria and germs. But partly this also happens automatically in the washer itself.
The handles are always given special attention. To mitigate the risk of contagion which some customers fear, disinfectants are applied or - as the company SJE Corporation does it - steam jets are used. The company Oclean Hygiene Products has developed a hand-wide system which is attached to the handle of the shopping cart. It is easily slid from right to left and distributes a disinfectant.
But customers themselves can also do something when they are afraid of transmission of pathogens. A silicone handle by the company Caddy-Guard is to act as sanitary protection. It is attached along the entire length of the handle and can subsequently be cleaned in the dishwasher at home.
Smooth surfaces help at the fresh food counter
Where meat, cheese and other foods are cut into consumer-friendly pieces, the customer wants to see a completely clean environment. Neither should remains of the products on display remain stuck to the machinery nor to the display. This means for the employees to keep their eyes open at all times and to swing the swab if necessary. But not only the attention of the sales personnel is important, but also the ingenuity of the device manufacturer.
Surfaces which are as smooth as possible and extractable components simplify the cleaning. Whit cutting machines it is particularly important that the distance between motor tower and knives should be large enough to enable cleaning of the machine and the knives from all sides. Bizerba for example designs its devices in a way that the carriage, covers and food holder can simply be unlocked via snap or click caps and then can be cleaned by hand or in the dishwasher. Additionally, the machines are designed so that liquids run in a dedicated channel and nothing drips on the work surface or the ground.
New, smoother surfaces such as Ceraclean not only have benefits at the food counter but also in the self-service area. Indeed, it is much easier to clean a scale if the adhesive label left on it by the customer does not have to be scraped off, but can be easily peeled off.
In all areas of the retail space cleanliness and order bring an immense amount of sympathy from customers. Measures that support this positive shopping experience are basically always successful. Retailers and employees should always keep this in mind, even though it is not always easy to respect the cleanliness.
Author: Natascha Mörs
channels: hygiene, shopping carts, cleaning equipment, automatic slicers
