Proper Sanitary Procedures and Touchless Payments Key to Small Business Success in 2020 Holiday Season

Even though there is more optimism from Pfizer and Moderna regarding their vaccines, consumers are still concerned. According to NMI’s Holiday Spending Insights Report, small businesses must implement proper sanitary procedures and touchless payment systems. This if they want to ensure their success during the 2020 holiday shopping season.

In the report, NMI says 46% of consumers are more likely to trust big box stores because they are more sanitary than small local businesses. The report goes on to say, small businesses must implement the right payment systems and safety protocols. With the right tools and protocols in place, small businesses can remain competitive.

Sanitary Mindfulness, Touchless Payments Key to Small Business Success

When it comes to contactless solutions, including payment systems, 23% of retailers say they lost sales because they don’t have this option. Another 43% of consumers are actively avoiding shopping with retailers not offering contactless payments.

Furthermore, close to 30% of consumers feel uncomfortable using cash for purchases right now. And more than half (53%) use contactless payments often when shopping in-store during COVID-19. Consumers (41%) also expect retailers to disinfect their Point of Sale (POS) areas during this holiday shopping season.

However, retailers are making more effort to implement contactless payments solutions. More than three in four or 78% of retailers currently accept contactless payment solutions. Another 57% of merchants say they have invested in this technology since March 2020.

Safety Protocols

What do consumers expect with in-store health and safety protocols? For businesses of any size, having these protocols will make consumers more comfortable so they can shop in retail stores.

The top five in-store health and safety consumers look for are:

• Hand sanitizer (80%)
• Masked employees (60%)
• Sanitizing wipes (55%)
• Social distancing floor makers (55%)
• Disposable masks (for customers) (49%)

Additionally, 41% of consumers also expect businesses to disinfect their POS areas after every customer. And another 49% are planning to implement more health and safety protocols to prepare for the holiday season. Likewise, 41% are going to limit the capacity of their place of business to further protect their customers.

Until there is a safe vaccine, businesses must deploy more options to make their customers safe. This includes cleaning the environment, implementing contactless payment options, curbside pickup, delivery and more.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, "Proper Sanitary Procedures and Touchless Payments Key to Small Business Success in 2020 Holiday Season" was first published on Small Business Trends