Brought to you by GOJO Industries.

In today’s competitive landscape, it is important to make sure your store stands out against your competition. A proven way to stand out, and to capture a larger share of wallet, is to pay close attention to the overall store cleanliness.

The 2013 Convenience Store Survey, conducted by the Boston Consulting Group, reports that the highest-rated differentiator is overall cleanliness of the store. This survey also points out that while overall store cleanliness is highly valued, it is perceived as rare. So how can you make sure your store stands out?

Let’s first identify the germ hotspots at a c-store. In 2012, Handwashing for Life conducted a study that included collecting swab samples from some of the most-frequently touched areas in convenience stores. Samples were collected from 24 c-stores and truck & travel centers under eight different retail brands.

As a result of this testing, the “germiest” hot spots at a c-store store were determined. The top six are:

• Restroom door latch/handle
• Store entrance door handle
• Gas-pump handle
• Gas-pump keypad
• Squeegee handle
• Refrigerator door handle

It is important to remember that a clean store is more than just an uncluttered store. One way to ensure you are standing out among the competition is by offering the right hand-hygiene products at the right locations throughout your store.

Having an alcohol-based hand sanitizer at the gas pump–one of the germiest areas on the property–is one way to visibly demonstrate to your customers you care, but also a way to differentiate your store from the competition. In addition, customized signage allows you to get credit for providing your customers with Purell Advanced Sanitizer.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer, such as Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer and systems such as the Purell ES Everywhere System, are designed to fit in small spots with ideal placement at foodservice areas and beverage stations for customers. This helps give customers confidence to buy food at your store and cuts down on restroom traffic, offering hand sanitizer is an alternative to hand-washing.

A clean store helps drive sales. Be sure to have the right hand-hygiene products on hand to give a visible demonstration that you go the extra mile to keep your store clean and your customers happy and returning.