4 Useful Items for Shop Owners During the Pandemic

It’s been difficult for a lot of businesses this year, especially when for months many shops had to close their doors, and although they are now allowed to reopen despite there still being strict restrictions in the new tier system in the UK, they must still follow certain guidelines. Shops must control the number of customers in the place at any one time, staff must wear masks and gloves, and even more regular cleaning needs to take place. Below is a list of 4 useful items for shop owners during the pandemic, which they will still need to use in 2021 for the first few months at least.

1. Sanitiser Dispensers

Some shops may have already had hand sanitiser dispensers, but in retail, it was rare to see this around. Now they are seen in every shop, whether it’s a store-bought bottle of sanitiser or something more robust. If you’re a shop owner who is looking to replace their old sanitiser dispenser or by their first, look at this wall mounted hand sanitiser dispenser and see how it could fit well in your shop and cater to both your staff and customers.

2. Floor Markers

Although it might seem as though a lot of customers ignore these markers as time goes on, it’s still important to indicate what is considered to be a safe two-metre distance. While it might not be the most practical thing when customers are browsing, they should, at the very least, be making an effort to stand two metres apart when queuing to pay at the tills. If your floor markers are getting worn out, replace them with some fresh ones, and do what you can to encourage customers to keep their distance when they’re in your shop. You may even have to limit the number of customers in your store at any one time to do this.

3. Till Shields

In addition to providing your staff with masks, look at putting up plastic shields around the tills to protect them from any sneezes, coughs, or other things that put them at risk of catching COVID-19. Not only will it keep your staff safer, but your customers will be, too. They might look a bit cumbersome, but as long as they’re see-through so your employees and communicate with customers, it should be OK. Some shops have opted to use these shields to allow their staff some respite from wearing masks provided they’re sat/stood behind them, although using both is the safest option.

4. Signs

Putting up signs in your shop window and inside to convey the message to customers about how they’re expected to behave in your shop is also important. Make it clear that you can only have a certain number of people inside at one time, particularly if you’re a small shop, and that they will need to be patient. Try to encourage them not to touch produce that they don’t plan to buy, and to use the hand sanitiser on entering the store.

Not only are these items useful for shop owners during the pandemic, but they’re also necessary. Make sure you’re stocking up on the essentials to help keep staff and customers safe in your shop.