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KUALA LUMPUR, May 2: The heads of several major brands said today they are cautiously ready to reopen their businesses on May 4 with initiatives to meet health guidelines, such as private shopping sessions and reduced contact.
At a digital roundtable, the heads of Bonia Corporation Berhad, Padini Holdings Berhad, Estee Lauder Companies Malaysia, Sunway Malls, Tomei Gold and Jewelery Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd and Kyochon 1991 said that precautions had already been taken.
Sunway Malls chief operating officer Kevin Tan said measures to safeguard the mall and customer safety were taken even before the Motion Control Order (MCO) went into effect.
“All our common areas, facilities, services and amenities underwent a deep cleaning. We even got to the point of having smart fogging on the surface of all our common areas, facilities, services and services where this fogging from any pathogen contact will kill all pathogens.
Well, our general guide is to have 200 square feet per person. That is our golden rule. So we will limit that type of capacity within these 200 square feet. Of course, in terms of activities there will be the necessary social distancing. We will not carry out or encourage activities that attract a large crowd, ”said Tan.
He said that all Sunway Malls outlets have temperature control at the entrances, and the tenants of the mall perform another level of temperature control.
Bonia CEO Datuk Seri Daniel Chiang said his company’s outlets would also offer private shopping sessions, with only a few customers allowed at the outlets at any time.
“But we encourage our clients to make an appointment now. So I think this is something that we will inform all of our VIPs and our customers, it is that it will be good enough if they make an appointment, and we will simply close the store for them to buy. So no one bothers them and they get the best service from us, “Chiang said, adding that all items in Bonia stores would also be sanitized with alcohol wipes after customers touch them.
On the need to record customer details for contact search purposes, the managing director of Chiang and Estee Lauder, Cheryl Joannides, said the two companies would clarify privacy concerns with the government.
“We take the details of our clients if they feel comfortable doing it, but we will take government guidelines if we need to take tracking details for each of our clients that enter our stories, that’s for sure,” said Joannides.
Padini CEO Benjamin Yong said his company has implemented strict health monitoring rules for all staff, including a travel and health statement.
“What we like to do is that we have implemented a travel statement for MCO staff and it still applies. So, travel abroad, local travel is important, and each staff has to declare where they have been, and we also have a health declaration, “he said, adding that the initiatives already started before the MCO.
Tomei Managing Director Datuk Ng Yih Pyng agreed that the biggest challenge for retailers is attracting customers again.
“Right now, I think it will be a challenge for both the mall and retailers,” he said, adding that the responsibility rests with the mall’s operators and retailers to ensure the safety of shoppers.
He said his staff was advised to travel directly from their homes to stores, with controlled unnecessary movements during working hours.
“In addition to the bathroom, movement outside the store is discouraged,” he said, adding that the move is also to build customer confidence.
Kyochon managing director Terry Goh said the chain now relies on a delivery that accounted for 95 percent of orders now compared to 15 percent previously.
He added that the company will also not open all of its outlets on Monday and will take its time before restarting as it still needs to reorganize seating arrangements to comply with the social distancing rule.
“We are working on this. We will not open all restaurants on Monday. We are going to take a very deliberate approach.
“We also need to disinfect again for all the points of sale. Tables and chairs that we need to disinfect, disinfect. there are many things we must do, “said Goh.
He said the restaurant would also only receive customers who make reservations through the chain’s Facebook page or website.
The chain also has a booking app that customers can use, he said, predicting that customers will likely continue to deliver orders on Monday.
Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said today that companies can decide for themselves whether they should reopen their businesses on Monday.
In an interview with TV3 Today, the former banker said there was no obligation in the government’s announcement that most economic activities could resume as of May 4.
On Monday, almost all economic sectors and companies could reopen subject to strict conditions in what is called a conditional movement control order (CMCO), Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced yesterday.
In his Labor Day speech, Muhyiddin said the government can no longer go ahead with the extended movement control order (MCO) imposed on companies, which has dealt a significant blow to the nation’s economy.
He said the government has been suffering RM2.4 billion in daily losses during the MCO, adding that losses to date are estimated at RM63 billion, with another RM35 billion to come, should the MCO spread for longer.
