As the government starts to relax the rules around retail outlets opening, there are some clear guidelines on how shops need to change, to prevent a second wave of the virus. Here’s a quick guide to what retailers need to do, to reopen safely while the pandemic is still underway.
Preparing for relaxed lockdown rules
According to the British Retail Consortium and Usdaw, all shops are now required to provide hand sanitizer for customers to use as they browse the aisles. Helen Dickinson, Director of the British Retail Consortium has stated: “The safety and wellbeing of retail colleagues and customers remains the highest priority”, indicating that both customers and shop staff will need to stay aware of the potential risks in visiting newly-opened stores, and adjust traditional ways of shopping to guard against transmitting the disease.
Non-food retailers have been provided with the following guidance to reopen safely–all designed to reduce footfall and ensure that social distancing arrangements can remain in place:
- limiting the number of people who are shopping within a store at one time
- Continuing to promote solo shopping
- Increasing delivery schedules, to reduce footfall to shops
- Sanitizing and cleaning door handles, lift buttons and handrails regularly
- Implementing clear markings on floors to direct the flow of traffic and maintain distances of 2m or more.
All shops will be strongly encouraged to implement Sanitizer Stations at shop entrances, and use signage to encourage customers to make use of them effectively before entering and leaving premises.
What does the future look like for shops?
While most people will herald the opening of retail outlets as a positive step towards normality,there is a strong possibility that the pandemic will have changed the way consumers make purchases, in the future. The extensive period of lockdown has had some significant impacts upon the national economy, not least for those members of communities who have either temporarily or permanently lost employment.
Similarly, the lockdown has created inevitable shifts in buying habits, with families adopting more online purchasing, and individuals realising that they are less attached to material possessions. As a result, it’s likely that shops which do gradually emerge from lockdown will not experience significant traffic from a flood of consumers. People are naturally going to be much more cautious–both in terms of social distancing, and economically–enabling retail outlets to open safely when they are permitted to do so.
Preparing to open
If you’re considering opening your shop or store in the near future, we can help. SureSan offers a range of retail-friendly Sanitizer Stations, with Hand Sanitizer Gel and Lotions. We can also equip you with Sanitizer Spray to conduct deep cleans across your premises, to safeguard against the risks of transmitting Covid-19 once you open the doors.
If you would like some further information about or products and how they will protect you and your customers, our friendly team of safety experts will be happy to help. We’ll be able to recommend the ideal Sanitizer Station to suit your premises, and advise on the volume of product you will need to stock up on, to ensure a consistent supply. Get in touch with us today, and let SureSan work to keep everyone safe as the lockdown begins to ease.
Sources:
British Retail Consortium
www.brc.org.uk