The large crowds that Black Friday deals attract can create unsafe conditions. Store owners should be prepared.
Black Friday is only a day away and the anticipation among retailers and consumers is building to a fever pitch. During last year’s Black Friday weekend over 138 million consumers ventured out in search of deals, discounts and door busters. According to the National Retail Federation, 152 million consumers plan to shop this year’s Black Friday weekend, a significant increase of 10 percent. In order to accommodate the extra 12 million shoppers, many stores are opening much earlier. Consumers looking for deals won’t even have time to put away the leftover turkey before they must venture out to reach the first Black Friday deals. With so much additional foot traffic, retail store owners need to focus on the one area that is more important than sales: safety.
Store owners need to be concerned about customer and employee safety. According to David Michaels, Ph.D., assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, the large crowds that Black Friday deals attract can create unsafe conditions. “This time of year, it’s important for retail employers to remember that large crowds can be dangerous to their employees,” he says. “Rushing, overcrowding, and other hazards can turn a holiday sale into a nightmare.”
Planning ahead prevents injuries
These conditions could lead to injuries or even death as has occurred in previous Black Fridays. In order to prevent these injuries, it’s very important to plan appropriately for large crowds in your stores. Your company should hire security personnel with experience in crowd management. If you are expecting a massive response due to some extraordinary door busters, then requesting a police presence on site to calm anxious buyers is appropriate. Your company should have a detailed staffing plan specifying where each employee should stand when the doors open and throughout the normal course of business. The workers should be informed that safety takes priority over sales. In case that the crowd does get out of control due to overcrowding, crushing or fighting, an audible signal alerting all employees should be made and an emergency plan should be ready to go.
Steps to take in the final days before Black Friday
Barricades and rope lines are indispensable for controlling crowds as they amass outside your store. Many retailers make the mistake of starting the lines right at the front door. This presents a safety issue at the time of the store opening, limiting access in cases of emergency and leading to the potential for a crowd crush. It’s best to set the barricades back at an ample distance.
As the crowd grows, divide them into sections using additional barricades. This will allow your employees to control ingress to the store in reasonable batches. When organizing the barricades and ropes, never set them in a straight line. It’s best to add curves and breaks to minimize the chances of crowd pushing. Any items that can cause injury should also be removed from the parking lot and store entrance prior to Black Friday.
Keeping people informed is the best way to ensure they stay calm. Prepare large store signage which clearly leads people to each special you are holding. Print flyers with the store layout for distribution to people in line to avoid confusion at the door.
On Black Friday take a deep breath and…
Nothing ever goes exactly as planned in life and Black Friday sales are no exceptions. It’s important to remind your employees that situations that could lead to safety problems will arise and they should revert to their training to minimize injuries. You should also provide your staff with a uniform (even if it’s just a neon t-shirt to put over their clothes) so all employees are instantly recognizable. Finally, make sure that someone is monitoring the total number of people in the store so capacity is never exceeded.
This year’s Black Friday has the potential to signal a turnaround for the economy. While retailers should do all they can to maximize the return they seek, nothing trumps safety.
