What states have said about reopening retail
As non-essential businesses are eager to reopen for their communities, they must follow their state,
county and city guidelines as to when they are allowed to re-open and the new health
requirements/procedures set in place by their governments. Knowing that the reason for these
closures what to minimize the spread of Covid-19, states/counties/cities will be making sure that
their infection rates are decreasing and at a safe level before they decide to reopen non-essential
businesses again. Ensuring that business owners are able to maintain a safe and healthy
environment for both their customers and their employees will be key to reopening and keeping
their stores open.
How this can be implemented in retail stores
Require all employees & customers to wear masks/face coverings – masks do not ensure that the
virus cannot be transferred between people but it does help reduce the likelihood of a transmission
Possibly requiring temperature checks – store owners may want to check the temperature of all of
their employees at the beginning of every shift, as well as check every customer before entering
their store.
Maintain physical distancing (6’) whenever possible – This very well may require stores to limit the
number of people allowed inside, similar to how grocery stores have been limiting their customers
Install plexiglass barriers at checkout stands – wherever it isn’t possible to maintain a 6’ distance it
is advised to install plexiglass barriers.
Regular handwashing by employees or use of hand sanitizer – because the employees touch every
purchased item that the customers touch it is essential that employees regularly wash/disinfect
their hands, possibly in-between each transaction.
Regularly disinfecting of surfaces – Every day before the store opens and at every shift change
disinfect the surfaces that customers and employees come in contact with.
Making sure your customers and employees feel safe
There has been a significant increase in internet shopping during this pandemic and for people to
feel comfortable shopping in-person again they will need to see that businesses are following health
guidelines set in place by their local and state governments. This can be done in three specific ways:
1 st – Ensure that you limit the number of people in your store to allow each customer to maintain a
physical distance of 6’ between each other. An overcrowded area will make customers
uncomfortable and not want to shop at your location.
2 nd – Regularly and within view of customers, disinfect surfaces that are touched by employees and
customers. This will reinforce the knowledge that your company is maintaining a healthy
environment for its customers and staff.
3 rd – Install plexiglass barriers at checkout stands wherever possible. This added barrier is
necessary to have when it isn’t possible for customers and employees to maintain a 6’ distance,
mainly because of the necessary scanning of products by the employee and the payment by the
customer.
Here is the link to the CDC guidance for retail business during the Covid-19 outbreak –
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
References
https://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2020/retailers-explore-tentative-reopening-plans/
https://www.retaildive.com/news/what-retail-could-look-like-when-stores-reopen/576041/
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