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Shopping under Alert Level 2 will be a more controlled activity, with shopping malls and stores keeping a close eye on whether customers are behaving safely.
There’s an air of celebration among retailers by opening Thursday, says Lauren Riley, general manager of the Tauranga Crossing Mall, but shoppers will notice differences in the way stores and malls operate compared to before closing.
Malls and stores will limit the number of shoppers allowed, but Riley doesn’t expect that to lead to queuing outside of malls, as there is unlikely to be a large influx of stores when stores reopen.
WILL ALL STORES OPEN?
All the big stores are planning to open.
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* Retailers are ready for customers as reopening approaches
* Coronavirus: Online contact tracking service eliminates the need for Covid-19 tracking applications
Many stores will return to their pre-opening hours, including Countdown and Kmart supermarkets, which will return from 8 a.m. at 11.59 p.m. in their Auckland stores.
Stores expect an initial spike in people trying to buy things they’ve been missing in the past six weeks, says Greg Harford of Retail NZ.
Stuff-co-nz
When Kmart opened at St Lukes in 2006, there was a huge avalanche. Retailers expect fewer people to reopen Thursday.
But retailers expect some nervousness from shoppers, and many will stay away.
The malls are also open from tomorrow, including Auckland’s giant Sylvia Park, though it is limiting opening hours for two weeks, postponing nightly opening on Thursday and Friday until May 28.
Will I have to queue?
Stores have a duty to manage social distancing.
Small shops especially will have to limit the number of people entering, so some queues on the street can occur below level 2.
Large stores and malls will also be limiting the number of shoppers and will have social distancing markers in all of their stores.
Sylvia Park Mall in Auckland will use “people counting systems” and issue alerts when the mall is near capacity.
It will close its doors and operate a “one out, one in” system when that happens.
Riley says one way to keep the numbers down was for shopping malls to cordon off areas of their parking lots.
CONTRACT TRACKING
Many stores will collect contact tracking information about customers, but others will not.
To a large extent, they will do so using online systems like GuestHQ or Rippl, which customers must log in to on their mobile phone before they are allowed to enter a store.
Stores where owners do not collect contact tracking information (name, address, phone number, etc.) should ensure that their customers remain two meters apart at all times.
When contact tracing is performed, social distancing can be as low as one meter.
Similar retailers can take different approaches. During the level 4 blockade, Countdown Three Kings did not collect contact information because it could easily maintain social distancing.
Farro Epsom did collect contact tracking information through GuestHQ, viewing it as the responsibility to do so to help keep its staff safe.
Stores should not use the information for marketing purposes.
FOOD CUTS AND SERVICE COUNTERS
Foodcourts has reduced the number of seats to maintain social distancing, and all will collect follow-up contact information about customers.
The tables in the food court will be disinfected and cleaned between each use.
Service counters, where they are open, are increasingly operated by people behind the screens.
“We have installed security screens on our customer service desks and we may need to limit the number of staff to ensure social distancing,” Sylvia Park tells customers on her website.
WAIT TO BE LOOKED
Countdown has been keeping a close eye on all clients in the past few weeks.
He’s been monitoring who’s disinfecting his hands, who’s picking things up off the shelves and putting them back on, and who’s coughing and sneezing.
The-Dominion-Post
Countdown has been closely monitoring customer behavior.
Worksafe says that store staff have an obligation to reject customers who appear ill.
“Ask customers who appear to have cold or flu symptoms to come back after they have been symptom free for 48 hours, and call Healthline for advice if you think workers or others were exposed,” advises merchants. .
Riley says people should expect to see other shoppers in masks, but there was no legal requirement to wear one in shopping malls.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SEE?
There will be many other small changes.
These will include playgrounds in shopping malls that are closed, seats in public spaces that are temporarily removed, fewer tables in cafes and restaurants, masked staff, more security guards, more cleaning, and much less cash.
Contactless payments are king right now, and stores have no legal obligation to accept cash.
There may also be gaps in the shelves as some stores have had a difficult time resupplying.
CAN I GO AND COLLECT THINGS NEVER GIVEN TO ME?
Many Stuff readers used “click and pick” services during level 3, but have not yet been told that their items are ready to pick up.
Shoppers should check with retailers to see if they can pick up their items before being notified by phone.
The countdown has reported higher-than-normal levels of customer aggression in recent weeks. Treat all retail staff with respect and kindness.
