Canada's Retail Reopening
'No Mask, No Entry' - Enforcing Social Distancing - Assuring Customers
 

'No Mask, No Entry' Policy Expanding in Canada
Some grocery chains now require shoppers to wear a face mask

Longo's, T&T Supermarket and Costco say customers must wear face covering

A growing number of major retailers are now requiring — or requesting — that shoppers wear a face covering in their store during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move follows a shift from Canadian health officials who, at the start of the pandemic, questioned the benefits of widespread mask wearing and then later suggested it may help stop the spread of COVID-19.

However, there's still much debate on the effectiveness of the general public wearing face masks, due to a lack of scientific data and concerns over people wearing them improperly. As a result, not all shoppers will buy into the idea of donning face masks.

On Monday, T&T Supermarket chain mandated that shoppers join its employees in wearing face coverings in the store. The Asian grocery chain, which is owned by Loblaws, has locations in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta. On May 4, Toronto-based grocer Longo's became the first Canadian retail chain to mandate that customers wear a facial covering; its workers have had to wear one since mid-April. cbc.ca

Ontario grocery store fined for not enforcing physical distancing guidelines

First such penalty for social distancing violations

Brampton Coun. Charmaine Williams shared the news with reporters during a weekly briefing on Wednesday, noting that it is the first time that an essential business has been ticketed for violating the terms of the provincial emergency order. The location of the offending store has not been revealed.

“This comes after officers had educated and cautioned the store management about the breaches. Look if you don’t want to pay the fine don’t do the crime,” Williams said.

Most grocery stores have taken extensive steps to limit the spread of COVID-19 through limiting the capacity in their stores, erecting plastic barriers to protect clerks and, in many cases, limiting the direction of travel in aisles. ctvnews.ca

Retailers trying to reassure customers of store safety as reopenings loom
It is unusual for a retailer to boast about having relatively few customers in its stores. But in a world where shoppers are spooked by the COVID-19 pandemic, an empty store is a kind of asset.

This week, Sleep Country Canada Holdings Inc. outlined its plans for reopening locations across Canada. In a release, the company pointed out that because it is a specialty retailer, its stores “by nature remain a very low traffic destination,” which will allow for more physical distancing. It is also introducing hand sanitizer stations in stores, mandatory disposable mattress and pillow protectors for every customer trying out a product, and floor decals to show how much space people should keep from each other.

These kinds of reassurances are becoming more common as “non-essential” retailers that had to shut their doors begin to make plans to reopen. As they do, they are confronting a new normal in retail, needing to reassure both customers and staff that they are safe in stores. theglobeandmail.com

Reopened stores putting returned items in quarantine before re-shelving due to coronavirus
Items being returned to local stores may now sit for days in quarantine before being placed back on the shelves — if stores are taking returns at all. An employee at a Winnipeg Sport Chek store said that since the business reopened on May 4, any items returned have been placed in a storage room or behind the counter for three days before heading back to store shelves.

"Even if a customer brings something up and changes their mind, we have to quarantine," she said. "It’s pretty messy back here," she added, gesturing to a pile of returns behind the counter. globalnews.ca

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Canadian malls collect just 15 per cent of May rent from tenants

Retail revenues are vanishing during the pandemic

Retailers big and small have seen revenues vanish after provincial governments shuttered non-essential activity to stop the spread of the virus. Malls were forced to close in March, and some retailers had already shut their doors.

The new data from Chicago-based real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. found that major Canadian mall operators received approximately 15 per cent of the rent due this month, according to numbers it compiled from landlords and tenants. This follows April’s figure of around 25 per cent. theglobeandmail.com

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