With the holidays right around the corner, retailers across the nation are gearing up for the biggest shopping season of the year. Black Friday kicks off the shopping frenzy as people camp out, line up, and stampede across parking lots in the name of doorbuster deals. But before hoards of people (and their vehicles) descend on your lot, it’s time to take a fresh look at the condition of your pavement.
Clearly Designated Pavement Markings
Consumer studies indicate that faded striping in the parking lot is one of the top things customers associate with poor brand image. In addition to creating a bad impression, faded pavement markings make it easy for customers to get a little too creative with their parking job. This can be frustrating to other drivers, especially during the crowded shopping season.
Re-striping can help mitigate this problem by clearly designating parking stalls and other markings to ease traffic flow. If, however, your business is looking to accommodate more holiday shoppers, it may be time to consider a new parking stall layout. Angled parking, for example, can help maximize a smaller area and fit more cars into the existing space.
Help your customers get in and out quickly this shopping season by inspecting your parking lot and taking note of faded or missing pavement markings. Whether you choose to re-stripe or re-design, our team can help make sure that parking stalls, crosswalks, stop bars, loading-zones, and other areas are properly marked. We can also help your business comply with ADA requirements. The result is a safe and well-marked parking lot, which serves as a positive reflection of your store and helps attract people to your business.
Potholes or Pavement Cracking
Holiday shoppers are more time-crunched than ever, and a parking lot pothole could turn a quick dash into your store into an injured customer and a legal battle that will put a damper on your holiday joy. Indeed, in addition to being unsightly, cracked or pavement littered with potholes can be a liability issue. If left untreated, existing cracks can quickly spread to adjacent areas and worsen with the stress of heavy traffic during the holidays. To help avoid this scenario, go onsite and assess your pavement (if you are unable to walk the site, we can perform an evaluation for you).
The best defense against widespread areas of cracking is to be proactive and seal cracks as soon as they appear. To repair existing holes in isolated areas, patching is an effective option. Depending on the geographic location of your site, November is still a good time to perform crack sealing and patching before the harsh winter weather conditions. For crack sealing, most product manufacturers recommend an ambient air and surface temperature of 40°F or above. Potholes or other small depressions can be filled using premium cold mix asphalt. This product can be applied in temperatures as low as -5°F.
With the increased traffic during the holiday season, it’s advisable to schedule preventative procedures as soon as possible. After all, the parking lot is one of the first areas encountered by customers, and sprucing up your lot can go a long way towards ensuring a hassle-free shopping experience from start to finish. Let our team help you make the most out of this season of joy. Ready? Let’s Pave…
