by Shane Henson — June 14, 2013—The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM), an association delivering education, information, and certification to North America’s retailers and suppliers focused on facilities maintenance, has released the results of its 2013 Benchmarking Report.
The survey covers topics such as quality plans, sustainability initiatives, checklists, surveys and inspections, general maintenance practices, and financial and cost metrics. According to findings from the survey, overall, cleaning is an area where the industry has begun to organize with greater uniformity and attention to sustainable best practices, says PRSM.
The survey data shows that the average annual spend of janitorial services for retailers is $0.81 per square foot, compared to the median spend of janitorial services of $1.44 per square foot by other commercial building management. In total, the survey indicates retail companies spend on average 21 percent of their total repair and maintenance budget on janitorial and floor care services.
When it comes to budgeting, the primary driver in determining the overall janitorial spend is store sales volume, followed closely by overall square footage and an equal distribution of budget dollars for janitorial across all facilities.
From a sustainability perspective, the research shows janitorial services are more closely aligned with retailers’ corporate social responsibility plans than in years past, especially in the area of “green cleaning,” says PRSM.
Regarding the nature of retail contracting for janitorial services, the study reveals that, while the majority of retailers are using some form or combination of janitorial services, nearly one quarter (24 percent) have no contracted janitorial maintenance in any of their stores. In addition, the findings indicate that a majority of retailers are using between one and three janitorial service providers, managed by a flat rate contract with a term of three years or less.
The survey also found that for verification of work, primarily the larger box retailers are using advanced technology, such as Interactive Voice Recognition, to have vendors check in and check out. However, 59 percent of participating retailers require no service verification at all.
