March 18, 2020
Photo by istock.com
The latest retailer and grocer to designate specific shopping hours for seniors due to COVID-19, the coronavirus, is Smith’s Food & Drugs.
The goal in offering the first hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week is to help the local population stay safe and thwart spread of the infectious virus, according to a KOAT report.
The news comes as Target and supermarkets are creating specific shopping times to help the elderly as well as enhance safety measures. Many retailers, however, as Retail Customer Experience has reported have temporarily closed stores.
The store will also have staff members on hand to help seniors needing special accommodations.
Non senior consumers will be able to shop from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“Smith’s wants to provide these at-risk customers with the ability to purchase the items they need to avoid busier and more crowded shopping times,” Aubriana Martindale, Smith’s corporate affairs manager stated in a release, according to the report. “We request that customers respect these hours for the health of our community during this time of uncertainty. We appreciate all of our customers for their kind consideration, whose concern contributed to our decision to provide allocated hours for seniors.”
Please check here for more news and insight on how COVID-19 is impacting the retail industry.
Topics: Coronavirus / COVID-19, Customer Experience, Marketing, Merchandising / Digital Merchandising, Retail – General, Retail – Pharmacy/Drugstores, Staffing and Training