Holiday Season Preparedness for Retail Vertical Transportation
By Burton Mills
The holiday season is one of the busiest and most critical times of the year for retailers. With an influx of shoppers, every part of the customer experience matters — including vertical transportation (VT) systems like escalators and elevators.
When these systems go down, it doesn’t just inconvenience shoppers — it directly impacts revenue. Imagine a flagship store losing thousands of dollars an hour because customers can’t easily reach upper floors due to a down escalator. Unfortunately, this kind of scenario happens more often than it should.
Why Problems Happen: Reactive Maintenance
Many retail portfolios are made up primarily of escalators, which bring a unique set of challenges:
Specialized staffing needs: Most escalator work requires a two-person team, and certain tasks like handrail or step cleaning often require subcontractors with specialized skills.
Time-intensive repairs: Major cleanings or heavy repairs can take days to complete.
Parts delays: Materials may need to be fabricated or custom-ordered, creating delays if there’s no proactive planning.
When maintenance is handled reactively, fixing problems only when something breaks, downtime and lost revenue are almost guaranteed, especially during the holiday rush.
The Solution: Plan Ahead and Be Proactive
To avoid costly surprises, retailers need to take a proactive approach to both their contracts and their contractors. Here’s how:
Have a clear maintenance plan: Your maintenance agreements should spell out how often service is performed, how long it should take, and what tasks are included, like annual escalator cleanings and access to spare parts for flagship stores.
Schedule work strategically: Plan major cleanings and repairs during slower periods, such as Q2 or Q3, and outside of store hours whenever possible.
Build a strong capital plan: Map out the lifecycle of every piece of equipment in your portfolio. This helps you budget accurately and avoid deferred maintenance that could lead to sudden, unexpected failures.
Hold contractors accountable: Regular check-ins with service providers ensure work is done properly and on time.
Get expert oversight: An elevator consultant can act as an extension of your team, providing independent assessments, safety reviews, and advice on long-term planning.
Real-World Example
A national retailer with over 160 locations contacted ATIS because they were unhappy with their current service provider. Initially, they wanted to bring in new contractors across 75% of their stores, with the transition scheduled to begin November 1st.
We advised against making a major change during the peak holiday season. Instead, we helped manage their existing vendors through Q4, then ran the RFP process in Q1 of the following year. This gave us time to:
Onboard new service providers,
Complete site assessments,
Develop a capital planning report, and
Address critical repairs, before the next holiday season began.
Lesson learned: Don’t make major transitions to your VT program during the busiest shopping months. Planning ahead protects both your revenue and your customer experience.
Key Takeaways
Review your current maintenance contracts — pay close attention to coverage, cleaning schedules, and emergency response provisions.
Schedule escalator cleanings and repairs well before the holiday rush to avoid disruptions.
Develop or update a capital plan that matches your equipment’s lifecycle.
Consider bringing in an elevator consultant for expert oversight and long-term strategy.
Communicate regularly with contractors to keep everyone aligned and accountable.
Next Steps
The holiday season doesn’t have to be stressful for your operations team. By taking proactive steps now, you can reduce risk, improve reliability, and keep your shoppers moving — literally.
If you’re ready to prepare your stores for the busiest time of year, contact ATIS today to explore how we can help you protect your revenue and your customers’ experience.