The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) has released the 2017 Retail Facilities Maintenance Industry Overview Benchmarking Report. This report, created from member-survey data provides valuable insights, and factual comparisons of financial and operational benchmarking data and enables retail facilities managers (FMs) to make better, data-based decisions. 

The study illustrates how retail FMs increasingly face more challenges, such as managing aging properties and the skills gap which creates a lack of skilled trades staff. While it’s no surprise, facilities maintenance trades are often outsourced (91 percent), whereas outsourcing professional staff rarely occurs (17 percent). 

“FMs are under more pressure to perform than ever before,” said Bill Yanek, PRSM CEO. “We are confident the information presented in this report will provide accurate, actionable data to show FMs where they stand in the industry and how they can improve.” 

Another prominent statistic shows 67 percent of facility maintenance budgets is spent on corrective maintenance, while only 33 percent goes toward preventive maintenance. 

Thirty percent of PRSM’s retailer members and 20 percent of supplier company members submitted information via prsmbenchmarkingtool.com, powered by Dynamic Benchmarking. A variety of different store types are represented including apparel, banking/financial services, convenience stores/gas stations, chain drug stores/pharmacies, discount stores, grocery stores, medical/dental and many others.