Retailers advance safety measures
Eliminating promotions so as not to drive traffic, controlling how many shoppers can enter a store at a given time, one-way signage down the aisle and temperature checks of associates before they start working are some advanced measures that retailers are taking to keep stores safe.
Meijer, Natural Grocers, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, Target and more have been updating safety measures. Store Brands has updated its running retailer roundup.
Among the updated list, Home Depot has introduced some unique benefits such as extended paid time off for all employees that can be used by the end of the year. Full-time hourly employees get 80 additional hours; part-time get 40 hours extra. If an employee is 65 years of age or older, that employee earns an additional 80 or 40 hours on top of the other hours.
Lowe’s said they’ve released an additional 10,000 truckloads of essential product and expanded social distancing measures to remove aisle displays and tables, as well as expanded space allotted for its buy online pick up service. Both hardware chains have ceased selling N-95 masks, instead donating them directly to medical organizations.
Home Depot has said it’s eliminating its spring promotions to not drive traffic and said it would be limiting the amount of shoppers inside stores to control traffic. Meijer announced those same two new initiatives and is also now checking temperatures of store associates.
Walgreens also announced it will be checking the temperatures of associates and expanded its drive-thru COVID-19 testing to 15 locations in seven states.
Publix has added contactless pay, as has Walmart updated its contactless payment to be completely contactless (previously a consumer needed to touch a touchscreen to trigger mobile payment scanning).
Continue reading all of Store Brands’ COVID-19 coverage here.