Coffee and gift shop owner Louise Lidford was looking for infection control methods to reassure her staff and customers as hospitality restrictions eased in her local town of Wrexham.
Louise wanted to welcome as many customers as possible safely back inside the store, which has been a sociable meeting place for regulars for many years.
As the café has many customers from older generations, who are more susceptible to complications from illnesses, she noted they were extremely conscious of the steps being taken to limit the spread of coronavirus. And Louise wanted to add extra measures to give them confidence to fully enjoy the atmosphere and browse the shop
Alongside offering hand gel and social distancing measures, Louise wanted something extra, that would reassure the regulars that the coffee shop was taking steps to reduce the spread of disease through airborne pathogens. And being a small business Louise needed the solution to be affordable.
“Our customers are frequently asking us for hand gel and always respectfully observe the social distancing measures we have in place. We wanted to build their confidence really. It’s understandable that they are extra cautious, many are older and fall into the more vulnerable categories.
“We want our customers to feel safe and looked after while they’re here, so I started to do some research into infection control systems that clean the air. Air purifiers and fogging were two of the alternatives we investigated, but we felt that the benefits didn’t outweigh the negatives of these methods. Fogging is very expensive and impractical given the frequency it needs to be done. As well as the fact that the shop would need to be completely clear of customers.
“When we discovered SteraSpace we were really impressed with the accompanying research and credentials. It’s well priced too, which is especially important right now as a small business. Even more so, as we’re not able to open and operate to our full capacity.
“With SteraSpace we are protecting our whole premises for an initial outlay of under £600 – that’s just brilliant.”
Two units were installed at Two Doves Coffee Shop. A SteraSpace 80 in the main coffee shop area and a PSA20 in the kitchen to cover all the higher-risk areas where people are mixing the most.
SteraSpace units such as those mentioned above start at less than £300 for the cost of the unit. Once fitted, SteraSpace has low monthly running costs of around £2 per month, with an annual outlay of around £50 for a new bulb, making it an extremely cost-effective solution for businesses.
Louise continued: “The units look very tidy, slimline, and discreet. I love the fact that once installed they just operate in the background, doing all the hard work for you while being completely inobtrusive.
“Another bonus is that the units give off a clean smell and reduce smells from the meals that are served in the coffee shop.
We’ve been telling the customers about the unit and all the impressive testing data behind them. We also use the sticker to let people know and advertise the SteraSpace on social media. The feedback has been brilliant. It’s really given our customers a boost in confidence, as well as reducing the overall risk of having multiple people inside the premises at one time”.
To find out more about how SteraSpace air sanitisers could provide cleaner, fresher air to protect your small business call our Sales Team on 01865 723622.