Several states have given permission for retail stores to operate. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, customer trust is at an all-time low. Even if they are looking forward to going to malls and stores, they are paying attention to stores that are taking health and safety seriously. Perception isn’t enough, it has to be followed by action. You want to want your customers to feel safe when they are at your store, and for that here’s what we suggest you should do.

A) Getting your store ready!

First make sure that your store employees are ready to follow all the safety measures, highlighted in SOPs provided by your state government.

1)Washing hands: Make sure that portable hand sanitizer stations are easily available. These should be available at the cash counter, seating and table areas, and other high contact zones. You should also have covid 19 signage placed on walls that visually shows how employees are supposed to wash their hands with soap and water.

2)Have a surplus of supplies: Make sure that there is enough soap, tissues, sanitizers in stock for employees. Also, ensure that you have a moisturizer dispenser as well to deal with dry skin due to frequent washing.

3) Pay more attention to restrooms, kitchen, and packaging areas: These places should be cleaned more frequently. Assign a dedicated staff member for this purpose. These high contact zones have the highest chance of transmission so it can be difficult to trace back.

4) Use Gloves: The virus mainly transmits through air droplets and surfaces that have these droplets. While not all your employees need to wear gloves, it is considered essential for employees that have to deal with food items and clothing.

5) Sneezeguards: The areas that see the most face-to-face interaction will need it. Portable plexiglass shields will protect your customers and employees. It also makes your customers feel safer at your store. You should put these up at customer baggage counters, cash, and check-out counters.

6) Payment: Give and recommend the option to pay electronically to customers. It reduces the chances of contact and shows a commitment to ensure safety. For senior citizens or customers who want to pay in cash, wear gloves when handling money, another option is that you can hand out customers a small tray where they can drop the money in.

7)Social distancing: It’s hard to keep track of social distancing rules when shopping. This is true for both customers and workers. So have floor decals for social distancing on the floors to remind everyone. Block check-out counters with acrylic safety barriers so that customers maintain a queue. You can also use sneeze guards for counters to discourage customers from touching the display glass.

8) Masks: Though customers are expected to wear masks, providing masks for customers boosts your store’s image. It might even encourage them to make a purchase. You don’t have to provide them masks for free either. You could partner up with a local tailor and sell them at a cheap rate to customers who need it.

B) Letting the customers know

Once you are certain that you are ready to reopen. It’s time to let customers know that your store is reopening, here’s how you should craft and send the news of your reopening.

1)Apps: Do you have an app? Using push notifications, you can offer customers discounts or free store credit for shopping at your store. With a mobile app, you can let customers who are interested in your service know that you are back in business.

2)Social Media: Use your social media accounts to inform followers that you’ve opened up. In case you don’t have a large following, you can look into paid promotions, which all social media websites provide.

3) Delivery Services: Delivery apps such as Dunzo, Zomato, and Swiggy let you market your store if you are willing to provide a free sample. This is useful if you are looking to market customers that belong to a specific location. Such as the location where your store is located.

4) Videos: YouTube is a platform that gets millions of eyeballs every hour. Videos are short and visually engaging when done right. The platform, also makes it quite easy for you to share your videos on other social media platforms such as Whatsapp and Instagram. Create short videos to promote not just your store re-opening, but also bring awareness of how your store is taking all the necessary safety precautions for customers.