The UK is not famous for its scorching summers, but with global temperatures rising, it could be a good idea to fit an air conditioning unit in your retail premise if you want to keep customers as comfortable as possible. 

Temperatures can often exceed 30C during a British heatwave, and in 2022, records were broken when the mercury peaked at 40.3C on July 19th. 

Though this was a one-off, it demonstrates that temperatures are beginning to creep up over the warmer months, and the British Council’s claim that the average temperature in the summer is between nine and 18C might not be the case for much longer.

Consequently, high street retailers might consider installing air conditioning in all their stores. Not only would this make the shopping experience far more comfortable for their customers, it could also encourage passersby to come into the store to cool down. 

Instead of walking on scorching hot pavements with the sun beating down on them, they can escape the intense heat with a little potter around the store, possibly finding something that catches their eye. 

It is also important to have pleasant conditions for members of staff too. Even though there is no legal maximum or minimum temperature employees can work at, it must be a “comfortable level”, with clean and fresh air available. 

Standing on their feet all day while working in a stifling hot shop could put their health at risk, potentially resulting in heat exhaustion where they feel nauseous, fatigued, dizzy and have headaches. 

A stuffy building is also not particularly attractive to customers, which means many might choose to shop elsewhere on a sunny day if the store is not air conditioned.

Of course, it is also essential these units are kept in good condition so they don’t fail when you need them the most, which is why hiring a retail maintenance service that can keep them in working order is a good idea.