An appointment to shop? How major retailers plan to reopen after coronavirus pandemic

As the United States surpasses 1 million cases of coronavirus, major retailers are looking ahead to how they might reopen safely after the pandemic.

This week, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation — which represent retailers such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy — called on governors to use uniform standards for reopening after the pandemic, Bloomberg reported.

In a six-page memo, the groups are calling for stores to enact strong health and safety protocols, occupancy limitations and the uniform reopening of warehouses and distribution centers as opposed to state-by-state, according to the outlet.

Kroger, which recently announced it would require employees to wear face masks, shared its coronavirus response plan as a blueprint for other businesses as they look forward to reopening.

The document included recommendations to restaurants, retailers, manufacturers and other types of businesses for how to keep employees and customers safe when the threat of transmission still lingers, Supermarket News reported.

Some companies, however, are already getting their plans in place. Here’s how shopping could look in a post-pandemic world:

Macy’s

Macy’s said it plans to reopen 68 stores on Monday and aims to have all its roughly 775 stores open in the next six weeks, CNBC reported.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, chief executive Jeff Gennette said the company plans to reopen all stores if infection rates drop as projected and if state and local governments approve.

The stores set to open first will have reduced hours, operating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., CNBC reported.

Macy’s said it will enforce social distancing and make workers check for fevers before reporting in for work, according to the outlet. The company also said workers will wear masks, CNBC reported.

Returned items and items tried on in fitting rooms will be held for 24 hours before they’re put back on the floor, according to the outlet.

Macy’s also said it would implement no-touch consultations and demonstrations in beauty departments where customers can test products on a paper diagram of a face, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Customers will also be required to use hand sanitizer before trying on watches and jewelry, according to the outlet.

Best Buy

Beginning in May, the electronics retailer said it would gradually begin opening its doors to 200 of its U.S. stores, CNBC reported. But the shopping experience could be a little different.

Best Buy said it will be offering shopping appointments where customers can meet with a sales associate to discuss their technology needs, according to the outlet.

During a consultation, an employee will shop with each customer but remain socially distanced, wiping down products the customer might want to try, CNBC reported. Employees will also wear gloves and masks and go through an app-driven health check before each shift.

The company said it would also resume its in-home deliveries, repairs and installations with increased safety measures, according to the outlet.

Starbucks

On Tuesday, the coffee giant said 90% of its company-run stores in the U.S. would be open by early June, Forbes reported.

Half of Starbucks’ company-run stores temporarily shut down due to the pandemic, according to the outlet

The first Starbucks stores to open their doors may well do so in early May, Forbes reported, but with serious precautions.

The company said that if seating is allowed at all, it would be limited with social distancing guidelines strictly enforced, according to the outlet.

Drive-thrus, contactless pickup and delivery with Uber Eats are currently available at stores that remained open and are expected to become mainstays at other locations as they reopen, Forbes reported.

Apple

After closing all of its locations outside China in March, Apple said it expects “many more” of its stores to reopen in May, Bloomberg reported.

Apple hasn’t said which regions or stores would open, but that the company is “continuing to analyze this health situation in every location, and I do expect we will reopen many more stores in May,” according to the outlet.

Apple opened a retail location in Seoul, South Korea, in April and the store largely focused on service and repair as opposed to sales, Bloomberg reported.

At the Seoul store, customers could still make purchases but were checked for fevers as they entered, according to a photo posted to Twitter.

Recently, Apple employees in the U.S. have gone back to work by conducting training and meetings from home, with some staff fielding technical support requests from customers both online and over-the-phone, Bloomberg reported.

Waffle House

The restaurant chain, notorious for keeping its doors open during weather crises, closed 400 of its stores due to the coronavirus pandemic in March, CNN reported.

Now, it’s brought back dine-in seating to many of its restaurants in Georgia, Fox News reported.

Georgia has already begun reopening the state with restaurants being allowed to open back up on Monday, according to Forbes.

“We’re not seeing a big rush of business, we didn’t expect that everyone was going to come rushing back out,” CEO Walt Ehmer told Fox. “I think what we’re finding is, most of the folks are behaving and doing the things according to all the guidelines.”

Ehmer said restaurant employees are regularly sanitizing and cleaning locations, according to the outlet. He added that at one U.S. Waffle House location bags had been placed over some booths and tables to ensure proper social distance was maintained.

This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 9:49 AM with the headline "An appointment to shop? How major retailers plan to reopen after coronavirus pandemic."