Crowds Black Friday – Tips to manage the queues

Black Friday has increasingly become one of the most sought after, pre-Christmas buying opportunities attracting long queues of consumers outside retail stores. It is a sight that gladdens every retailer’s eyes since it means tills are going to be ringing.

But it also brings potential crowd problems. Retailers are required to ensure the health and safety of shoppers and staff, so monitoring numbers going into store and ensuring that they are queuing safely outside is essential.

Being prepared is essential!

Use rope lines or barriers to organise queues.

British people are used to queuing, but often it can be hard to identify where a queue starts or ends. Having rope lines or barriers to identify the line of a queue avoids any problems of people trying to push ahead. It also means there is no dangerous rush into the store when doors open – access remains calm and controlled.

Avoid straight lines when creating queues

There is always a sense of immediate excitement the moment doors open, and people start moving forward. On Black Friday, everyone wants to get in the store quickly so as to obtained the desired bargains. It is not unknown for people to surge forward from the back of a queue, expecting it to move quicker than anticipated. This can result in injuries, especially when people fall.

Introducing twists and turns within queue lines slows down any surge, and ensures people can see easily how far they have to go before reaching the entrance. Just think how queues are organised at airports to see just how successful such twists and turns can be. It is also space-saving as you can get more people in a queue of this kind!

Hire stewards to organise the queues

Queuing for long periods can get very bored. Bored people are more likely to get annoyed, irritated and disgruntled especially if they are left without information or no-one in sight to answer questions.

Queue stewards can make all the difference on Black Friday. Friendly and efficient, they can deal with queries such as when doors will open or how long it might take to reach the head of the queue. By constantly interacting with keen shoppers, Queue Stewards can manage shopper numbers and deal with any potential flashpoints before they become serious.

Consider ticket entry or wrist bands

An alternative to queuing is to provide shoppers with tickets or wristbands for entry to the store at specific times. This means that people don’t need to queue for long periods (especially if the weather is bad), they can go and get a drink, food or go to the toilet without fearing losing their place in the queue. It makes for a more comfortable shopping experience.

Remind people constantly of the rules

Queue busting stewards can help maintain safety within the store even after doors open. They can manage the queues at the tills and counters to make sure that everyone benefits from the Black Friday sale.