A number of shopping centres in Ireland - Dundrum Town Centre, the Ilac Centre and Swords Pavilions have officially re-opened today Monday, 15 June.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) has published a Shopping Centre Recovery and Protection Guide Strategy to minimise spread of the COVID-19 inside a retail premises.
In the report additional measures to mitigate the spread of the infection inside a retail premises includes encouraging the use of one trolley per customer and also the use of card payment methods including contactless payment.
The NRSA said that customers and visitors entering the retail building should be encouraged to wear face coverings, and appropriate signage to communicate this message to customers should be on display.
Shelf Re-stocking
The group suggests that retailers should reduce customer numbers in store when shelf re-stocking is taking place or restrict customer access to aisles/areas when restocking is taking place.
It also recommends the use of in-store communications via video screens reminding shoppers to adhere to physical distancing.
The NRSA said that retailers should store items that have been returned or handled extensively in a separate room for 72 hours before displaying them on the shop floor.
'Monitoring Visitor Numbers'
Last week the owner of the shopping centres Hammerson said that the re-opening of the retail destinations will in line with the latest guidance from the Irish Government.
“Throughout our destinations we will display clear information for consumers on how to shop in this new environment, and we will also be monitoring visitor numbers, to ensure there are never too many people in our spaces at any one time,” said Mark Bourgeois, managing director UK & Ireland at Hammerson in a statement.
“We ask that people be patient with us though, as the way we shop is going to be different for a while and visits might take longer than usual," he added.
© 2020 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
