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Advice for Retailers | Enjoying the Outdoors Safely

Guidance from AdventureSmartUK to support retailers sharing safety advice with consumers for outdoors activities.

10 September 20268 Minute Read

Inga Becker-HansenPolicy Adviser - Retail Products | BRCinga.becker-hansen@brc.org.uk

Beatrix HarnettGraduate Policy & Corporate Affairs Executive | BRC

Participation in outdoor recreation activities has increased massively in recent years, with people appreciating the benefits to their physical and mental well-being. Whether they are enjoying watersports, mountain biking or hill walking, it is important that people have the correct information and equipment to ensure they have a great day and stay safe.

Many callouts to the rescue and emergency services could have been easily avoided by following some simple advice on how to prepare for their day in the outdoors; focusing on skills and knowledge, checking and understanding the weather forecast, and having the right kit.

AdventureSmart UK & Ireland is the only nationally recognised strategy for outdoor safety, developed, supported and delivered by more than 150 partner organisations, including National Governing Bodies and emergency services to provide all the essential information needed for people to get outdoors, confident that they have prepared for a great day.

Working together to keep people safe in the outdoors

Advice for Retailers

Thousands of people set off for an adventure in the great outdoors every day. Some choose strenuous sports, others take a less extreme approach, all in search of their own adventure. The majority will have a fantastic time and will take home treasured memories; for a few, their day will be marred by discomfort, brushes with danger or accidents, and some will have to be helped by rescue and emergency services.

Your connections with your customers are a vitally important opportunity to share simple, clear safety advice. If your customers are aware of the importance of being prepared for their outdoor adventures before their visit, the more likely they are to set off ‘suited & booted’ and in the know to stay safe.

By working together, we can help everyone understand and mitigate the risks inherent in their chosen activity, whether that be knowing how to navigate, wearing the right safety equipment, or knowing what to do if things don’t go according to plan.

How Retailers can help

People generally get into difficulty in the outdoors due to a chain of events and decisions. Many people are not able to assess risks in the outdoors and do not know what actions to take to reduce the risks.

Retailers are a vital cog in the wheel; you and your staff are ideally placed to draw people’s attention to the reality of outdoor recreation, and how to prepare to enjoy it safely no matter what the conditions are. You can do this by ensuring your staff are briefed on how and when to bring safety into the conversation, through engaging Point-of-Sale info, and through your online and social media channels.

Smart talking about safety

Being adventure smart isn’t just about staying safe; it’s about enjoying a day’s walking without getting cold, wet and scared, or setting out on the water knowing you have the knowledge and skills to embrace the conditions.

By being clever in how you provide safety information, you can increase the chance of your customers being suitably equipped and having a really enjoyable visit and heading home eager to return. It’s not about lecturing or providing a list of do’s and don’ts, nor is it about scaring people or giving instructions; it’s about simply providing some gentle prompts to nudge people to consider their safety.

Make safety messaging part of your regular communications with your guests/customers. Check out the AdventureSmart UK & Ireland Toolkit for ideas on what to say and how to say it. There’s even a case study to get some ideas about how you might work with ASUK&I messaging.

What to say

Whatever activity your customers are planning, the best starting point for communications around outdoor safety is the AdventureSmart UK & Ireland 3 questions;

Ask yourself 3 questions before you set off:

Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
Do I have the right GEAR?

These questions are as much a useful reminder for the most experienced as they are for those seeking a first-time adventure. From here, you can signpost to more specific activity information. ASUK&I is a one-stop shop providing comprehensive answers to these questions, with messages covering a wide range of outdoor activities; follow the links below to find out more:

#BoatingSmart
#CanoeingSmart
#OffRoadCyclingSmart
#HikingSmart
#SwimmingOutdoorsSmart

Touchpoints and Opportunities

Think about your touchpoints with your customers and the opportunities they offer:

Around the store and at the checkout: Place clear, concise safety messaging at your point of sale.
- This could be a small card, a leaflet or a sticker on or within the box, or you could display posters or run the ASUK&I films in store. Contact info@adventuresmart.uk for information about available assets.
- Print & place (or link online to) the daily weather forecast at or near the point of sale. You can also link to coastal and/or mountain locations where appropriate. Tidal information can also be found at the Met Office once you have located the place. Display the AdventureSmart homepage QR Code at your Point of Sale
Socials, blogs, vlogs & newsletters: Gently weave AdventureSmart UK & Ireland safety advice into your content. It’s about drawing attention to the products that will help ensure people have a better day because they didn’t get lost, hungry, cold, wet… or any of the myriad of ways in which people can get caught out.
- Use AdventureSmart.UK as a source of content for your newsletters, vlogs and blogs
Marketing and promotional materials: Signpost to www.adventuresmart.uk; you could also add the website link to the bottom of your receipts
Your Website: It’s a well-known fact that safety information is often dull and most people are unlikely to click on a tab with safety in the title, all the more reason to get creative!
- Embed advice into your general content rather than presenting stand-alone safety messaging.
- You know your customers better than anyone and will be able to find new ways to weave the AdventureSmart messages into your narrative. You can take content directly from AdventureSmart.UK and include it in your site, or embed some of our videos and graphics; take a look, download and embed.
- Why not include a link to our suggestions for core kit and optional extras to keep you safe and comfortable
Conversations with staff: The conversation you and your staff have with customers about their plans for the day can be powerfully influential. With the right knowledge and understanding, you are one conversation away from ensuring that your guests have a fantastic and safe day out… You might even save a life!
- AdventureSmart can help your staff include some simple ‘good practice’ safety information in their conversations with your customers. They need to know the right information to give and the best way to say it.
- Give staff the time to get familiar with the website and the messages. The right advice will vary with seasons, weather, location, and activity, so the time your staff spends considering the relevant messages for your guests is time well spent.
- Make sure you and your staff are familiar with reputable and trusted sources of information about where to go and what to do. The National Parks and National Trust are always good choices.
- Use the AdventureSmart UK & Ireland 3 questions when chatting to customers about their
  plans. Ask them:
  - Do they have the knowledge and skills for the activities they are planning?
  - Do they know what the weather will be like?
  - Do they have the right gear?
- The right advice will vary with seasons, weather, location and activity
- Make sure you and your staff are familiar with reputable and trusted sources of information, which is where the ASUK&I one-stop shop website comes in handy
Imagery: The choice of images used to support the AdventureSmart UK messages is an important factor in their effective communication; if a picture speaks a thousand words, a good picture speaks thousands more!
- Images need to be; – High quality – Engaging – Dynamic – Not cliched
- All images featuring people must show good safety practices in accordance with the key messages, with the appropriate kit for the activity/conditions shown.
- If possible use images showing people enjoying their activities to help connect people with landscapes.
- Avoid images which look like stock photography with set-up poses and scenery.

Together the outdoor sector can build a shared culture of safety, and you as retailers can make a valuable contribution to spreading important safety messages to your customers. Only some of the suggestions contained in this advice might be practicable for your business, adapt where necessary and be creative. Just one thing might save a life!

AdventureSmartUK