Shopping in the new coronavirus age: retail giants in Spain preparing the way for post-lockdown store reopenings

SPANISH retail giants El Corte Ingles and Zara parent company Inditex are preparing the way for opening the doors to their stores post lockdown with measures in place to protect the health of customers and staff in the new age of coronavirus

Inditex has presented a shop reopening plan to the trade unions and El Corte Ingles has set up a team to work on setting out an action protocol, Spanish media reports.

According to El Economista, both firms will implement a series of measures aimed at preventing Covid-19 infection. It says other big chains like Mango, H&M, Cortefiel, Ikea, Leroy Merlin and Media Markt will follow suit once the enforced confinement comes to an end and a gradual de-escalation process begins, with the partial or full reopening of outlets.

El Economista points out one of the companies’ biggest challenges will be overcoming consumers’ fears about possible contagions from touching clothing or other items. The report says there are likely to be restrictions on the use of changing rooms, which will be disinfected with every change of client.

Disinfectant gels will be on hand around the shops, including at the entrances for customers going in.

Safe distances between customers will be set out at payment terminals and staff will have to wear gloves and masks.

El Economista further reports that staff will probably be required to take their temperatures every day before entering their workplace, and if it’s above 37.5 they will have to stay at home.

El Corte Ingles will, the report says, follow a similar model and based on that already adopted in its supermarkets, with continuous disinfection and the maintenance of safe distances between members of the public.