Now that the we are meeting the five tests the government set in order for Covid-19 Lockdown restrictions to be eased, retailers in England are set to re-open from Monday 15th June. Ireland and Northern Ireland are already open and Scotland and Wales are expected to open soon. Retailers must follow key safety guidelines or they could face enforcement notices.
For now, the 2m social distancing rules remain in place.
What to do
All retailers that open must complete a coronavirus risk assessment and businesses must follow the government’s social distancing and hygiene guidelines.
The steps include increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning. Keep people 2m apart wherever possible. If this isn’t possible, consider whether that particular activity needs to continue. Perspex barriers, avoiding face to face working and reducing the number of people each team member has contact with are all things to consider. Pay attention to regularly used touch-points like door handles, and clean them often. Be mindful to team members who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
Your Team
It’s important that cleaning rotas, hygiene and hand washing become regular features in store both to protect the spread of the virus and to provide reassurance to customers and staff. Make sure these are constantly visible.
Share your risk assessment with your employees. All businesses with over 50 employees are expected to publish their RA on their website. Stagger arrival and departure times as well as lunch breaks for your employees. Limit non-essential trips and movement and encourage working from home where possible. Work in fixed teams or partnering to limit exposure and encourage working from home where possible.
Your Customers
One of the key challenges for retailers will be providing reassurance to their customers that they are safe to visit shops. Having a visible protocol will help with this. Be sure to share it on social media to encourage customers at home to venture out and visit you. Introduce a one-way system in your store for customers to avoid face to face contact with others.
Mark up the floor area around the till and in store with lines of tape 2m apart to remind people of the social distancing measures. Consider switching to contactless and card payments only to reduce exposure to cash that may carry the virus. Be sure to clean the key pads on your machines regularly.
Define the number of customers that can reasonably follow social distancing within your store and limit the numbers who enter by setting up a queuing system outside. Products that are extensively handled by customers should be stored for up to 72 hours in a separate room or cleaned. Same goes for all deliveries.
Shop Local
We expect to see a wave of support for local and independent retailers in the coming months as people choose to #ShopLocal in order to support those smaller businesses in their communities. You can get involved with the hashtag campaign on social media.
See what Retailers can do during a Pandemic
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