LOCKPORT, NY – The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many retail trends—including consumer expectations of cleanliness and safety. Winning in this new paradigm requires more than having the right policies and procedures in place. Now, more than ever, retailers are tasked with educating consumers about the steps they’ve taken to uphold high standards.
Announced today, Crosby’s Stores, the convenience retail division of Lockport-based The Reid Group, has been awarded Safe Shop Assured™ certification. This is in recognition of having met and exceeded a 10-point checklist of essential safety measures.
“At Crosby’s, we’ve always taken pride in providing our customers and our associates with a clean and safe environment to work and shop,” said Doug Galli, vice president and general manager of Crosby’s. “With the implementation of Safe Shop Assured we will be better able to communicate to everyone that our stores are Crosby’s Clean. Everyone who enters our stores can work and shop with the highest level of confidence that we are keeping them safe.”
About Crosby’s Convenience Stores
Serving communities with a personal touch has always been at the heart of Crosby’s Stores. With humble beginnings as a dairy farm in 1902, the first convenience store was opened in 1966 at the site of a former milk plant. The first fuel pump was added to the growing chain in 1972, and a proprietary food service program was established in 1996. Reid Petroleum, a family-owned company that began as a one-pump gasoline station in the early 1920s, acquired Crosby’s Stores in 2004 and continued to expand its footprint in Southwest New York and Northwest Pennsylvania. Today, the company operates 81 stores in alignment with its founding values: honesty, trustworthy, customer focus, team spirit, cost-consciousness, and entrepreneurship.
Having earned Safe Shop Assured™ certification, Crosby’s will showcase its commitment to safety and cleanliness by deploying branded decals at high-visibility touchpoints.
“Retailers like Crosby’s have a deep history in their communities, and they’ve always been focused on doing what’s right,” said Frank Beard, director of Safe Shop. “Unfortunately, that hard work sometimes happens behind the scenes in ways that aren’t apparent to customers. Communication is critical in today’s world. Customers need to know which retailers operate with integrity. Inclusion in Safe Shop sends a strong message that you’re serious about setting and maintaining high standards.”
What is Safe Shop Assured?
Safe Shop Assured is a certification program available to retailers that meet and maintain essential safety standards. Administered by a multi-generational and diverse board of retailers, suppliers, and industry experts, our goal is to provide customers and employees with additional peace of mind. Safe Shop is a joint venture between Paragon Solutions and WTWH Media.