Shops and branches
4. Managing your customers, visitors and contractors
4.1 Manage contacts
In this section

4.1 Manage contacts
4.2 Providing and explaining available guidance

4.1 Manage contacts
Objective: To minimise the contact resulting from visits to stores or outlets.
Steps that will usually be needed:


Defining the number of customers that can reasonably follow 2m social distancing within the store and any outdoor selling areas. Take into account total floorspace as well as likely pinch points and busy areas.


Limiting the number of customers in the store, overall and in any particular congestion areas, for example doorways between outside and inside spaces.


Encouraging customers to use hand sanitiser or handwashing facilities as they enter the premises to reduce the risk of transmission by touching products while browsing.


Encouraging customers to avoid handling products whilst browsing, if at all possible.


Suspending or reducing customer services that cannot be undertaken without contravening social distancing guidelines. This may include re-thinking how assistance is provided, for example, using fixed pairs of colleagues to lift heavy objects rather than a single colleague lifting with a customer.


Encouraging customers to shop alone where possible, unless they need specific assistance.


Reminding customers who are accompanied by children that they are responsible for supervising them at all times and should follow social distancing guidelines.


Looking at how people walk through the shop and how you could adjust this to reduce congestion and contact between customers, for example, queue management or one-way flow, where possible.


Ensuring any changes to entries, exit and queue management take into account reasonable adjustments for those who need them, including disabled shoppers.


Working within your local area to provide additional parking or facilities such as bike racks, where possible, to help customers avoid using public transport.


Using outside premises for queuing where available and safe, for example some car parks.


Managing outside queues to ensure they do not cause a risk to individuals or other businesses, for example by introducing queuing systems, using barriers and having staff direct customers.


Working with your local authority or landlord to take into account the impact of your processes, including queues, on public spaces such as high streets and public car parks.


Shopping centres should take responsibility for regulating the number of customers in the centre and the queuing process in communal areas on behalf of their retail.


Having clearly designated positions from which colleagues can provide advice or assistance to customers whilst maintaining social distance.


Working with neighbouring businesses and local authorities to consider how to spread the number of people arriving throughout the day for example by staggering opening hours; this will help reduce demand on public transport at key times and avoid overcrowding.


Avoid sharing vehicles except within a family, for example on test drives. If it is not possible, keep the number of people in the vehicle to a minimum and as distanced within the vehicle space as possible, and use other safety measures such as ensuring good ventilation.


Continuing to keep customer restaurants and cafes closed until further notice, apart from when offering hot or cold food to be consumed off the premises.