ROSWELL, GA - Just in case you didn't know why adhering to strict sanitation procedures is key to your business's success, here's a compelling reason: customers make initial and repeat-business decisions based on the cleanliness of an operation.
This news-which reinforces what retailers already knew-comes from a survey sponsored by Kimberly-Clark Professional. The national survey was conducted for September's National Food Safety Education Month and found that 78 percent of grocery-store shoppers and 82 percent of fast-food restaurant patrons say their purchasing decisions are influenced by the cleanliness of the establishment.
Respondents were asked what they would be most likely to do when visiting a grocery store that appeared to be dirty or unsanitary. More than half (52 percent) said they would leave the store immediately without purchasing anything; 26 percent said they would purchase items on that visit but would probably not shop at the store again.
Consumers were even less tolerant of fast-food restaurants that weren't clean. Nearly three-fourths (74 percent) said they would leave the fast-food restaurant immediately without eating there or without purchasing food for takeout.
And don't think that customers don't spread the news about their experience in a dirty establishment. In fact, a vast majority (90 percent) of those surveyed said they would tell friends and family not to patronize a grocery store or fast-food restaurant they found dirty.
"People often make an intuitive connection between the cleanliness of a grocery store or restaurant and the cleanliness or safety of the food found in that store or restaurant," said Linwood Herndon, grocery segment manager for Kimberley-Clark Professional.
Food safety is top of mind for consumers. Twenty-seven percent of survey respondents said that if their favorite store or fast-food restaurant was involved in a food recall or foodborne-illness outbreak, they would probably never go there again. More than half (54 percent) said they wouldn't return until an official gave the establishment a thumb's up.