Winter leaves parking lots looking like a war-zone—making it difficult to enjoy the shopping experience. Dodging potholes, pushing around a wobbly cart that had a chunk of the wheel missing and had nowhere to return the cart!
Here are some ways to get your parking lot back in order.
- Repaint lines and signs
A well-maintained and clearly marked parking lot gives a great first impression. Clearly marked spots are important for keeping the parking lot safe and the traffic flow smooth and clear of congestion. A season with heavy snowfall tends to fade the color on lines and signage, putting your customers in harm’s way. Whether you need a complete or partial re-strip, or a completely new layout there are plenty of affordable parking lot striping services and DIY tutorials out there. - Clean the pavement
When the snow melts away it left behind a lot of dirt and debris. Parking lot cleaning services that will enhance the appearance of your asphalt. - Replace cart corrals
Parking lots are one of the most important places to protect from damage. Hundreds of cars must dodge around fellow shoppers and loose shopping carts. Bring your parking lot back to a state of bliss by replacing those damaged cart corrals. Consider an upgrade to a cart corral that can handle the elements, and last more than one winter at a time. - Update your bollards
Bollards surface and structural damage is a common problem for retailers. Surface damage can be easily fixed with post covers. Instead of constantly repainting, post covers made of impact-resistant polypropylene eliminate the need for scraping and painting.
Structural damage is very common with core-drilled and plate-mounted bollards. If your bollards are damaged and need to be replaced, consider purchasing a more durable bollard.
- Replace or repair grocery carts
After being pushed through snow, hail, sleet, rain, and mud grocery carts could use a little TLC. Replacement parts are easily available for wheels and plate casters. There are service companies out there that will come into your store and do all the replacements for you.
See Kate Newman’s article here
