Are you ready to re-open your shop on the 12th April?

As the current measures begin to relax, you may be looking to shift from online to instore-sales. However, for the health and safety of your staff and customers, there are many things that you need to consider when creating your retail re-opening plan.

To make thing simple and straightforward for you, we've compiled a list of top tips for retail business owners to consider when re-opening your doors for business after lockdown 3.

If you would like more information about the social distancing signage and protection we offer at SVP, you can download our brochure and price list by clicking here.

1. Advertising that you’re re-opening

Clear temporary signage is a great way to tell your customers that you’re back open for business. Placing A-Frames or a PVC banner outside your shop-front is sure to attract the attention of passers-by and get your customers back through your doors.

If you’ve changed your opening hours, or have altered the way that your business is operating, signage could be a great way to advertise this.

2. Hand Washing and Sanitising

Encouraging effective hand washing and sanitising, within your shop, is vital to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.

Placing hand sanitising dispensers at the entrance/exits to your retail outlet is a great way to encourage people to sanitise, as they enter and again when they leave. Handwashing posters can also be placed, around your retail premises, advising people to adhere to your reopening policies and also to demonstrate the correct hand washing technique.

To ensure your staff are also adequately protected, make sure they are washing their hands, for at least 20 seconds, frequently throughout their shifts. Distributing flyers or leaflets, or displaying posters, in staff areas, that are informative could be an effective way to achieve this.

3. Social Distancing in your Shop

There are many ways that you can encourage social distancing within your retail outlet.

Why not consider utilising vinyl floor stickers or social distancing floor tape to tell customers where to stand when queueing? Social distancing floor vinyls are anti-slip and can easily be removed, with no damage to your flooring.

Using purpose-built arrow stickers, to convey a single direction of travel around your shop can also help your customers maintain a social distance, and ensure they are protecting themselves and others.

4. Ensuring a safe checkout process

Utilising cough guards or installing acrylic screens, on your retail counters, is vital for ensuring that you protect the members of your team who are in customer-facing roles. ​

Cough guards are a fantastic way to protect both parties from exposure, whilst also allowing transactions to be handled safely.

Utilising vinyl floor stickers, to indicate where your customers should form a queue, can also help enforce social distancing within your shop. Placing a sticker 2m in front of your check out desk can inform your individuals of where they should stand in order to carry out a transaction safely.

5. Limiting Footfall

Limiting the number of customers in your store and discouraging browsing is essential to ensure your non-essential retail outlet is Covid-19 secure. It is something that we have seen implemented in essential-shops that have already successfully re-opened and is arguably more important amongst smaller outlets.

Having a member of staff, stand at your shop entrance, and allow individuals in and out of the store can help you to regulate your numbers. Displaying clear signage, that dictates where individuals must queue, can also help ensure a systematic approach to achieving this.

With much debate arising about how long the virus can survive on different surfaces, it is important to discourage browsing in your shop. Ensuring that your customers know exactly what they need to purchase, can help prevent people from picking up several products to look at or try on clothes that they end up not buying. Clear signage on the outside of your shop, or posters that indicate that your changing rooms are closed or have restricted access, can help you to accomplish this.

6. Staff Safety

Government guidelines now make it compulsory to wear face masks inside retail outlets.

Supplying your employees with branded face masks or a plastic face shield is a great way to effectively protect them from potential exposure. Not only this, but it also reassures your customers that you are implementing Government guidelines to ensure their safety, whilst on your premises.

Find out more

Implementing social distancing measures, and following Government guidelines, is vital for ensuring we keep our workforce safe and can re-open our shops with confidence after lockdown 3. To find out more about the COVID-19 signage and safety products we offer, click here. Or, click here to download our brochure and price list.

Or to place your order contact our team today, by emailing orders@soarvalleypress.co.uk

Any questions? Our team are always willing and ready to help. Get in contact with us by calling 0116 259 9955 and we'll happily respond to any queries you may have.