Last Minute Shoppers Can Stay Out of the Door: How Stores Will Work During the Holiday Season

Limiting the area to 15 square feet per buyer next week could become a test. Retail chains promise to deliver and security personnel will be involved. As a result, buyers are advised to shop early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid rush hours.

Next week, the stores will work as follows:

From December 21-23, all retail chains will be open normal hours. Rimi just one hour, until 11 pm at night, extends the opening hours of Hyper format stores and some “super” format stores.

On Christmas Eve, the shops will be shorter: first at 6.30 p.m. Lidl, Maxima and Norfa stores will close in half an hour, and Iki and Rimi will close in an hour.

The first St. On Christmas Day, the stores will be closed, and the second everything will start at 9 am, with some shorter workdays than usual.

Stores will be open for a shorter period before New Years Eve, part of the door will not open on January 1.

You can check the opening hours of the large retail chains in the table below.

Lidl: regulated by security personnel

Lina Skersytė, Lidl Lietuva public relations representative, confirmed that before the holidays, December 21-23, all Lidl stores will be open during normal business hours.

“During this period, the flow of customers in the stores will be regulated by security guards. In more intensive stores, more security guards will work if necessary. We encourage shoppers to prepare a list of supplies needed for the holidays, as this will allow the store to shop faster. If there is a possibility, the store should be visited outside peak hours and it is better to buy more products so that it is possible to visit the store less frequently, ”says L. Skersytė.

Lidl stores will be closed on St. on Christmas Day and January 1. On other days of the holiday season, all Lidl stores will also be shorter. S t. On Christmas Eve, the shops will be open until 6:30 p.m. and on New Year’s Eve until 8:30 p.m. The second St. On Christmas Day, all Lidl stores will be open from 09:00. in the morning until 8 pm In the afternoon. During the holidays, December 27-30, all Lidl stores will be open during normal business hours.

“By” recommends buying early in the morning or late at night

The retail chain “Iki” will operate during normal business hours before the holidays and between the holidays, but during Christmas Eve it will shorten the business hours to 8 pm and the gate will open on Second Street. On Christmas Day from 9 a.m.

“We look forward to customer awareness and encourage them to change their shopping habits and visit supermarkets outside of peak hours. This should help make shopping safer and avoid additional contacts. Lower customer flows are monitored on weekdays and Saturdays from store opening until 10 am, as well as from 8 pm until store closes. On Sundays, there are few full-time stores in the human trafficking chain. For the convenience of For customers, some stores open at 7.30am and close at 10pm or 11pm, ”says Vaida Budrienė, retail chain communication manager.

The number of buyers in Iki stores is regulated by the number of shopping carts and baskets; it is calculated so that each client has 15 square meters of space, according to the provisions of the Government Resolution.

“Security guards make sure that all shoppers only shop with one basket or cart. If they are missing, wait a bit, ”says V. Budrienė.

She claims that Iki has suspended short-term promotions for a set time, so there is no reason for shoppers to rush to stores at a set time.

“Shoppers are encouraged to plan their shopping cart in advance, create a list of products and goods and shop accordingly. This will help you spend less time at the point of sale and shop in the safest way possible.” , says V. Budrienė.

It ensures that there are no disruptions in the supply of goods, that supply chains are strong and that customer flows have not increased dramatically, not even a day before the strictest restrictions took effect last Tuesday: “Buyers they are behaving consciously and rationally. “

December 31st Iki stores will be open until 8 pm, and will open at 10 am on the first day of 2021, and will be open until 10 pm.

Rimi extends her working hours and also uses protective equipment

The Rimi retail chain has not abandoned its plans due to the tightening of the quarantine and is extending the opening hours of some stores during the weeks of Christmas and New Years.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the “hyper” format stores and some “super” format stores will be open one more hour, until 11 pm

On Christmas Day, Rimi supermarkets will open at regular hours, depending on the store, from 7 am to 9 am, and will be shorter, until 8 pm. Like other retailers, the Rimi chain stores will be closed on the first day of Christmas.

On the second day of Christmas, Rimi supermarkets will open later than usual, at 9 am, and will be shorter, until 8 pm.

One more hour, until 11 pm, the Rimi department stores will be open from December 28 to 30 inclusive. Among retail chains, only Rimi currently changes their working hours, but working hours of up to 23 hours are common in other stores as well.

“After extending the opening hours of some Rimi supermarkets, we urge shoppers to plan and choose to go to stores other than the most frequent hours after traditional opening hours or at noon,” says Renata Keršienė, Head of Rimi public relations. .

Rimi will also regulate customer flows by calculating the number of disinfected baskets and shopping carts issued.

“Additional security staff will help monitor customer flow in some stores. To ensure customer safety and the fastest possible service, more checkouts will be opened for customers; additional security walls were installed in recent weeks in the employee safety boxes. We urge buyers to pay attention to this and choose a new one, as well as a self-service box, “says R. Keršienė.

I would also encourage you to prepare shopping lists, keep safe distances, and skip the store if you experience at least the slightest symptoms of a cold or other illness. There is also the opportunity to buy in the electronic store “Rimi.lt”.

On the eve of the new ones, all Rimi stores will be open until 9:00 p.m., and will open from 10:00 a.m. on January 1.

Maxima recommends the advance purchase of non-perishable products

Maxima is following the previously announced plan. Until the holidays, it will be open at regular hours, on December 24, Christmas Eve, stores will close at 7 pm, and will only open on Second Street. Christmas from 9pm. in the morning and will run until the usual closing time.

“Working hours during the Christmas holiday period have been determined taking into account both current customer flows under stricter quarantine conditions and last year’s customer flows to avoid crowds, which is especially important this year,” says Ernesta Dapkienė, director of the Department of Communication and Image of Maxima.

The 15 square meter requirement will be met by security guards who regulate customer flows.

“We also apply the principle of baskets and shopping carts in addition to restricting traffic. We are asking a lot for the patience and understanding of our customers if the security personnel ask us to wait temporarily and not go to the store until the number of visitors has decreased, ”asks E. Dapkienė.

Maximos has the fewest customers in the morning until 10 in the morning and in the afternoon from 8 in the evening. “Large XX and XXX format stores are open longer, so we recommend buying later, when there are much fewer people. The largest customer flows are on Fridays in XX and XXX format stores from 12 to 20 hours, and in small-format X stores from 3 to 7 p.m., on Saturdays in XX and XXX-format stores from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and in small X-format stores from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ”, says E. Dapkienė.

The retail chain recommends shopping for just one family member, planning ahead, and shopping for Christmas by buying longer-lasting foods ahead of time, such as frozen and canned goods, beverages, groceries, and more. It is recommended to keep fresh food, such as fresh fish or meat, dairy or bakery products, vegetables or fruits, for the last days.

On New Year’s Eve, December 31, the Maxima stores will be open until 9 p.m. Next year, on January 1, the Maxima store will open its doors at the latest and will be waiting for customers starting at 12 noon . and it will run until normal closing time.

Norfa will be closed on January 1

The Norfa retail chain does not change business hours before the holidays and will be open until 7 pm on Christmas Eve. On the first St. On Christmas day, the stores will be closed, and on the second day, the doors will open from 9 am in the morning.

Norfa will be open until 8pm on New Years Eve and will not open on January 1.

“The management of the company believes that there are days that should be ‘non-commercial’. Some restrictions are necessary to ensure that vacations also do not elude workers in the sector. Trade will be organized in the same way as in all holiday periods, of course, taking into account the quarantine requirements, ”explained Darius Ryliškis, representative of Norfa.