Bella's Business Blog

If you own a retail store, having a car park can be a great advantage for your business. In busy areas with controlled parking, your car park can mean that a customer chooses your shop over a competitor with no available parking. However, with a car park comes responsibilities. If you're about to add parking to your store, read on for three things that will help you provide parking that places your customers' safety and convenience at the forefront.

Consider Line Markings

Not everybody is considerate when it comes to parking. If you have no designated parking areas, people will park wherever they choose, and they may take up more space than they need. Add clearly marked parking spaces to ensure that the space you have works to accommodate as many customers as possible. If you're operating on a budget, you can pick up line marking stencils from a variety of online stores, such as A1 Roadlines Pty. Ltd, and paint the lines yourself. If your store is open after dark, consider choosing a good-quality, photo-luminescent paint that ensures your lines can be seen in the dark. You may also want to consider adding a disabled parking space—you'll find a variety of low-cost stencils of disabled logos online. Add the logo to the parking space closest to your store. If your car park is large enough, you can use line marking stencils to add pedestrian walkways, too.

Consider Lighting

Lighting is an important safety factor for your car park. It makes parking easier as well as providing safer travel to and from your store. Consideration is needed when deciding just where you'll place your lights. If you have enough room for landscaped areas or walkways, these are the ideal location for the tall columns that hold the lights—this will minimise the chance of a car hitting a lighting column. Lighting is best located in entrances/exits and near signage. Consider using LED lighting to lower electricity costs while doing your bit for the environment.

Consider Maintenance

With a car park comes a responsibility for the safety of staff and customers who use it. You will need to ensure that you keep your car park in good condition, making sure that potholes are repaired whenever they appear. You'll also need to be mindful of adverse weather conditions. During icy periods, you should salt the areas regularly to minimise skidding for cars and slipping for people going to and from your store.