The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has been difficult for all of us. The social distancing and social isolation measures put in place by the government have meant that we’ve had to change the way we go about day to day life. Many of us have had to school our kids from home. Almost all of us have had to change our social activities and have found ourselves only leaving the house for absolute essentials such as food or prescriptions. But as the vaccine against the virus is being rolled out around the world, many of us are looking forward to a return to life as usual. This, of course, is going to take some planning and getting used to. If you own a brick and mortar store, chances are, its doors have been closed for the past year and a half. So, you may feel a little daunted about opening back up. These tips and tricks should help you along the way!
Deep Clean the Premises
The first step that you need to take before reopening is deep cleaning your store premises. This is essential, not only in terms of health and safety to ensure that the environment is clean and Covid free for staff and customers, but it’s also important in regards to making your customers feel safe and more comfortable. Generally speaking, it’s most recommended to call in professionals who will be able to conduct a full, deep clean on your behalf. There are plenty of companies out there offering this service, so make sure to browse your options and read reviews of local providers.
Conduct Repairs
Seeing as your store has been closed a while now, you may return to find that there are repairs that need to be carried out too. This is essential in regards to health and safety. As a store owner, it’s your responsibility to create a safe environment for anyone who sets foot within your premises. You may find that you need some electrical work carried out, plumbing work completed or Commercial Paving services to repair paths and car parks linked to your shop.
Implement Covid Safety
Once your store is clean and in a good state of repair, you need to make sure that you implement standard covid safety throughout your store. This will prevent you, your staff and your customers from becoming sick. Ask people entering the store to wear a mask unless they are exempt for medical reasons. Make sure to provide hand sanitiser at various points throughout the store. You may want to place down social distancing floor stickers to guide people in a one way direction and to ensure people can easily stay two metres apart from others. Another good idea is to place transparent screens between cashiers and customers.
Of course, there are other steps that you may find yourself needing to take, but those outlined above should really help you along the way!