The parking lot of any supermarket is easily one of the busiest places in any neighborhood. Foot and vehicle traffic from shoppers is a constant, and regularly scheduled deliveries arrive morning, noon, and night. Your parking lot gets a ton of action, and that means your supermarket paving strategy needs to be a solid one.
Why Supermarket Paving is So Crucial
It’s easy to dismiss the idea of your supermarket parking lot being a crucial component of your store’s success. It seems almost laughable, after all; your shoppers are concerned with finding the best and most affordable deals on food and sundries, not on whether your lot looks pretty. To some degree this may be true, but the reality is that your parking lot has much more influence on the happiness — and safety — of your shoppers than you think.
Supermarkets are busy places, and their lots are subject to much more wear and tear than other commercial locations. Asking a shopper to navigate a pothole-riddled lot that could turn ankles or damage car tires is bad business, as it exposes you to unnecessary legal risk. Additionally, if your lot looks like a war zone, the aesthetics of such a poorly-maintained lot will discourage shoppers, possibly even driving them to visit a competitor instead. Don’t you think you’ve worked too hard to build customer loyalty to let an easily-remedied thing like a worn-down parking lot stand in your way?
Safety and Aesthetics Go Hand in Hand
Imagine one of your shoppers takes a nasty spill because he or she hit a pothole on the way back to their vehicle. Their shopping cart gets caught, sending them — and their groceries — sprawling. Not only is produce everywhere, but that shopper needs an ambulance to take care of their broken ankle. They’re not coming back any time soon, and anyone they tell their story to is likely to avoid your store as well. You will be hearing from their lawyer, however.
Now imagine you’ve just had your parking lot professionally re-paved. The asphalt is glossy and smooth, your parking stripes are crisp and white — and that same shopper glides effortlessly to their vehicle to fill their trunk with their purchases. They drive away with a happy smile on their face, car laden with groceries, already planning a return trip in their head because they had a smooth, safe walk to their vehicle and they got to enjoy a beautiful, aesthetically-pleasing parking lot. Which scenario would you prefer?
You Can’t Afford to Ignore Your Parking Lot
Paving a parking lot is certainly an expense. However, not maintaining your lot can become an even bigger expense. On top of that, there are a number of ways to manage your costs to make them more affordable, such as having regular preventative maintenance done instead of waiting until major damage has occurred.
Your best bet when it comes to keeping your supermarket lot in good order is to enlist the aid of a skilled and experienced paving company. Don’t hesitate to contact your local commercial parking lot pavers today if your supermarket’s parking lot needs a little TLC.