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The merchants did their homework
“There are no longer reasons why internal trade should be closed. The bigger the circle, the more stores it is possible to trade, it is epidemiologically safer, because it divides the flow of visitors who can choose where to come”, Mindaugas Statulevičius, president of the Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA) said at a press conference on Monday.
According to him, it is not commerce that encourages movement in the city, but the opening of supermarkets could simply slow it down because people could shop in places close to home.
I love Strumilos / 15min nuotr./Mindaugas Statulevičius
First, supermarket managers suggest that all store employees get tested at least once a week. It is also planned to implement a visitor accounting system.
“It is not necessary to share baskets, there are sensors that count all the people and flows in the shopping center. As a result, it is not difficult to secure a number of 20 meters or more per person at the point of sale. Every minute, every second, it is possible to see how many people are in the shopping center, ”explained M. Statulevičius.
At the same time, it is proposed to separate the flows of buyers, share medical masks with those who come with fabrics.
Rūta Vainienė, director of the Lithuanian Business Enterprise Association, added that supermarkets will refuse to provide free internet and there will be no sofas.
“Young people won’t want to spend a lot of time here comfortably. There will be no couches to sit on,” he said.
Arno Strumila / 15min photo / Conference moment
It is estimated that the flow of visitors to the supermarkets represented by LNTPA has been reduced by approximately 75 percent. compared to the beginning of March last year. Due to the lack of commercial activities in physical stores every month, the unpaid VAT of tenant companies since December amounts to about 17.5 million. euros. Another 2.75 million. The state does not collect EUR 3.35 million per month due to unpaid taxes due to downtime of PC employees, in addition to allocating around EUR 3.35 million per month from the state budget. payments in euros.
Requires opening from Monday
According to R.Vainienė, 75% worked during quarantines. retailers: food, pet stores, opticians and “have proven that shopping is safe.” The first commercial opening, when it is allowed to operate stores that have open-air entrances and an area that does not exceed 300 square meters. m, according to her, had no consequences for the epidemiological situation. Similar results are expected from the second opening.
“It just came to our attention then. This is a high volume place where that virus spreads. Building regulations have created special ventilation conditions when the air is filtered and vented. Disinfectants now flow freely and given the amount of disinfection stations out there, we probably don’t have as much in our offices or more in our homes, ”he said, adding that shopping is a safe place to shop.
According to R.Vainienė, traders see no argument why not all exchanges should be opened, even in closed spaces. In addition, it is stated that commercial companies that have been closed for 3 months “no longer have internal resources.”
“There is a limit. The retail sector is characterized by large stocks, frozen collections of clothing and footwear that cannot be sold with existing and online opening opportunities. The retail sector is experiencing a survival scenario ”, he explained.
Arno Strumila / 15min photo / Conference moment
All stores that have outside entrances can now operate. However, many of them are in supermarkets and therefore cannot open the door. For example, Kotryna Group of 27 closed 17, Douglas of 23 closed 21, Apranga Group of 102 closed 84 stores, Sportland of 27 closed 19 and Drugs of 53 to 22 closed.
“And how many companies generally operate only in supermarkets and only have their own sales location here,” said R. Vainienė.
Arno Strumila / 15min photo / Conference moment
Could vaccination become the starting point when supermarkets can be opened? The director of the Lithuanian Association of Business Enterprises is convinced that the vaccination process is too slow to resist.
“We no longer want and cannot continue to be hostages to the slowness of vaccination, the reluctance of segregated groups to get vaccinated.” We do not see the danger of opening the rest of the trade, “he said.
The government is asked to pass a resolution this Wednesday and resume trading as of next Monday, March 29. In addition, according to R.Vainienė, if the epidemiological situation worsens, the requirements for traders can be tightened, the area per visitor can be increased, but not closed.
“I ask for an immediate decision because it is pending,” he said.
What steps will supermarkets take?
Until the government decides to open the store, supermarkets voluntarily implemented a large number of measures to allow them to open safely. It should be noted that all the measures were presented to the Council of Health Experts last week.
For example, different supermarkets use solutions from different manufacturers, as well as the Sensormatic ShopperTrak global flow calculation system. These technologies or similar technologies with intelligent 3D sensors and cameras above each entrance count the incoming and outgoing visitors, and the data is processed in real time on the server.
Arno Strumila / 15min photo / Conference moment
Flow counting systems count the number of customers in a building in real time and respond according to predefined rules. When the number of visitors approaches the maximum allowed limit, the mall manager and security personnel are informed. Security is preparing to temporarily shut down all PC entrances, and if the limit is exceeded, they will temporarily shut down and limit customer access until the number of visitors inside decreases.
“We have even reached the principle that large traffic light displays can appear, for example at main entrances. I get to the supermarket and I see, yes, the green light is on, which means that the employment is very low, the yellow is approaching the average, and the red is approaching the limit. A person can decide and come back later, “said M. Statulevičius.
Arno Strumila / 15-minute photo / Mindaugas Statulevičius and Rūta Vainienė
With the opening of supermarkets, there will be more security guards working during peak hours to monitor safe distance indoors or waiting in line outside, and those with no spare parts in medical masks. The number of visitors to stores is controlled in a similar way: when customers reach the allowed number of visitors in a particular store, they are asked to wait in marked PC common spaces at a safe distance from waiting areas to avoid checking security before. entering the store.
According to the head of LNTPA, the company is also committed to conducting periodic tests, at least once a week, on self-employed customer service employees and thus increasing the test indicators throughout the country. Whenever possible, test sites could also be set up outdoors, completely minimizing contact with a potentially infected person. With government approval, a separate shopping time could be arranged only for the elderly or other vulnerable groups.
Currently, all stores with outdoor access can operate. PC facilities can operate the necessary assets: food outlets, pharmaceuticals, opticians and veterinarians. Other stores can act as collection points.
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