As life came to a standstill with Covid-19, retail was among the sectors most affected by the pandemic. In the normalisation process, retail stores have started to reopen their doors, but it is a fact that customers and employees are anxious. So what should be paid attention to in retail stores in this process? We have compiled 10 rules that should be applied in retail stores during the pandemic period.
1- Controlled entry and exit
The entrances and exits of the store must be controlled. Make sure to separate the entry and exit points. The maximum number of customers should be determined according to the size of the store and customers above this number should not be allowed to enter the store. There must be social distance warnings for the queue that may occur outside the store.
2- Mandatory use of masks
Unmasked customers should not be allowed to enter the store. A warning sign should be placed at the entrance of the store. Customers should be checked to ensure that they wear masks covering their mouths and noses. All store employees should also wear masks or face shields. Masks should be changed daily.
3- Temperature measurement
Measure the temperature of all customers at the entrance of the store with contactless metres. Do not allow customers with high fever to enter the store. Direct these customers to go to the nearest health institution.
4- Social distancing
Strip barriers and floor warning labels should be used to ensure that customer movement within the store takes place in accordance with social distancing. Cash registers should be separated by a plexiglass partition and contactless payment option should be offered. You can create socially distanced areas in the store and indicate how many people can be in this area at the same time.
5- Personal hygiene points
Provide hand sanitising points for customer and employee use. Make sure you have disinfectant points at the entrance, near the cabin and cash register.
6- Store disinfection
Stores should be fully disinfected at least once a day. Make sure that all touch points in the store are disinfected, especially in front of the checkout and in the cabinets where contact is intense. In stores with a high customer density, this process can be repeated several times a day. Trial booths should be disinfected after each use.
7- Product sanitization
Disinfect all products in the store with electronic liquid disinfection in accordance with the standards set by WHO. This is especially important in clothing and shoe stores. You can also use ultraviolet solutions for sanitization.
8- Fresh air filtration
It turns out that poorly filtered ventilation systems can be instrumental in the spread of viruses. To prevent this, make sure that ventilation filters meet the standards set by health authorities. Ensure regular filter maintenance and replacement. If there is an air curtain over the door at the store entrance, close it. It turned out that the air curtain causes viruses to spread.
9- Sterilisation cabinet
Disinfect all tested products and place them in a sterilisation cabinet for at least 30 minutes. You can also use ultraviolet disinfection devices in these cabinets.
10- Disposable gloves and test products
Ensure that employees wear disposable gloves for every contact operation. Offer disposable socks for customers to try on shoes. Disinfect the tried-on shoes in the sterilisation cabinet. Offer testers etc. as disposable products.
Collect feedback
Always check that all these rules are fully implemented. Make the measures taken permanent and make them part of the customer experience. The most important thing to do in this process is to collect feedback from your customers. Find out if they are aware of the changes you have made and what they think. Continue to measure your customer experience on a regular basis. Compare happiness and NPS results with previous periods.
Manage customer and employee experiences
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