Progressive Grocer Magazine - March 2020

In this issue

As coronavirus cases continue to rise across the world including
in India, shoppers are advised to exercise caution in their
daily interactions with others to stem the spread of the illness.
Grocers and supermarkets can do their bit to allay public fears
with regard to COVID-19 by choosing to address the concerns of
customers directly.
To begin with, they can diligently focus on the stores’ hygiene
and cleanliness standards even more so until the coronavirus
passes. Stores should spend more time cleaning commonly
used areas more often, such as checkout lanes, credit card
terminals, conveyor belts and cleaning shelves when restocking.
In addition, retailers should encourage sick employees to
stay home with paid sick leave via the company’s Paid Time Off
(PTO) policy, whereby associates amass PTO banks that can be
used to cover time away from work.
Additionally, they should ask customers to purchase only
necessary items and not to hoard products, so that “all people
can À nd the products they need to support their health and the
health of their families.”