5 ways shops are taking COVID-19 precautions

Here’s how our favourite stores are doing their part to keep us all safe

The COVID-19 crisis managed to turn every aspect of daily life on its head, impacting everything from travel plans to work to meeting up with friends. Society as a whole is still recovering from the virus’s impact, as it remains a significant threat, but we are finally starting to see some return to normality with the reopening of shops, bars, cinemas and more.

Shopping has been greatly missed over the past year, and in recent weeks shops across the country have been reopening their doors so that customers can once again enjoy a bit of retail therapy. This is an exciting and welcome development in the slow return to normal, but there are still plenty of health factors to consider.

To adhere to this, shops have been implementing certain precautions. These are designed to make shopping a safe as well as an enjoyable experience for staff and customers alike. Here are some of the ways shops are putting COVID-19 safety into practice.

Keeping contact to a minimum

Shops are doing all they can to keep contact to a minimum, including advocating the use of self-checkouts where possible. Contactless payments are also encouraged in many shops as this method lives up to its name, requiring minimal physical contact. This means customers don’t have to risk the spread of germs by touching keypads or handing over cash or cards to a cashier.

Shops that would normally have tester products – such as shops selling skincare products or perfumes – may also limit the number of items you can use to try things out. Many shops require you to ask a member of staff to test products for you.

Having a hand sanitiser station in place

Most of us are now familiar with the presence of a hand sanitiser station in shops and supermarkets. These useful additions make it easy to sanitise your hands as soon as you enter the shop, and again before you leave, significantly reducing any chance of germs being spread. Companies like Handstations.co.uk provide a wide selection of hand sanitiser station options for both residential and commercial premises.

Sanitising your hands remains one of the most effective pieces of health advice in the fight against COVID-19, so using a hand sanitiser station when you’re out shopping is an important safety measure we should all be utilising.

Reducing the number of people inside

You may find that, if your favourite shop is too busy, you will have to wait outside. This is because many shops are operating with a limited number of customers inside, to allow social distancing rules to be used successfully. The smaller the shop is, the fewer people will likely be allowed inside at any one time.

Helping you find what you need as quickly as possible

As much as you may enjoy browsing to your heart’s content, a lot of shopping staff will be aiming to help you find what you need as quickly as possible. This is so that others can come inside the shop and enjoy their shopping too, and to keep the risk of you picking up any germs to a minimum.

Making masks mandatory

Make sure you bring your mask with you when out shopping, as most shops are now operating on a No Mask, No Entry basis. That is, unless you have a health condition which prevents you from being able to wear face coverings safely.

Masks are still one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of airborne particles, keeping you, staff and fellow customers safe.