Non-essential shops may open their doors (a crack) so that customers can pick up online orders
Translated by Thomas Ansell
Whilst the Coronavirus pandemic has hit lots of industries hard, retail is near the top of the list. Plenty of outlets have embraced online shopping, but with huge pressure on the postal service it can take weeks for orders to arrive. The solution? From today, ‘non-essential’ shops may open their doors to customers that want to pick up previously-bought online orders.
The Omrop Fryslân reports that lots of Frisian shop-keepers have decided to set up a stall in the doorway of their outlets, and are pleased that they can put their retail space to use again.
Alina Smits, who runs the a kids clothing and lifestyle product store in Leeuwarden, says that whilst she was able to set up a web-shop, click and collect offers another option: “it makes it easer for people to order”, she says, “because they don’t have to pay for any delivery charges. We miss our customers, too, and we’re happy that we can see them again in person!”
All shops that want to open for click and collect have to work to a timetable; with customers able to order via webstores, telephone, or e-mail. However, in order to stop crowds forming at popular shops everyone will receive a time slot to pick up their items that will be a minimum of four hours after ordering.
Image by Flickr user Elliot Brown. License here.
