Big retailers, which are presently dispensing only essential items amid thelockdown, are taking precautionary measures like restricted entry and marked lines to maintain social distancing to avoid coronavirus infection at their stores.
Some stores as Reliance Fresh, More,Walmartand Metro Cash & Carry are even screening body temperature of their customers before allowing them entry into the store.
Metro Cash & Carry India said it ispre-packing loose commodities to avoid infection at its stores and is ensuring plenty of cash tills and mobile checkouts to reduce the billing time. It has also introduced a token system to avoid large gathering at stores.
Several retailers like Future,DMart,and Walmarthave marked special lines on their shop floors to maintain social distancing. They are also regularlysanitisingthe stores and disinfecting all touchpoints which includetrolly and basket handles.
We are managing the queue in such a way that people are standing away from each other, AvenueSupermartsCEO and Managing DirectorNevilleNoronhatoldPTI.
AvenueSupermartsthat runs D-Mart stores, is handing out coloured coupons to its customers waiting outside in the open area and then allowing entry of a particular colour at a time as part of its crowd management plan.
More From This Section
We are calling out the colour as yellow, green and then 20 to 30 people are walking inside the store. When these people out from the store, then we call the next colour, saidNoronha.
Metro Cash & Carry MD & CEOArvind Mediratta said: We have initiated a token system to manage the customers and avoid a large gathering inside the store. The tokens are properly sanitized with disinfectants and then handed over to customers.
WalmartIndia, which operates in cash & carry format,has also marked lines and is only permitting one person per membership card.
We have marked the floors of our Best Price stores with yellow stripes and boxes to designate enough space for each member to maintain safe distance from each other, said aWalmartIndia spokesperson.
He further said: The stores are also equipped withcontactlessthermometers for conducting temperature checks. Entry is barred for those detected with fever and high-touch surfaces of our stores are being regularly cleaned with disinfectant.
As far as measures for sanitation are concerned,WalmartIndia has already deployed hand washing stations at the entry of stores as well as multiple handsanitiserstations across each store.
METROCash & Carry India, is also maintaining hygiene advised by the health authorities and loose commodities are beingpre-packed to avoid infection at its stores.
We test each entrant with infra thermometers at all our stores and refuse those customers whose temperature is above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. We have a dedicated quality officer who is stationed full time at each of our stores. To avoid crowd we are ensuring plenty of cash tills and mobile checkouts, said a METROCash & Carry India Spokesperson