Sobey’s installing plexiglass shields, reducing hours to fight COVID-19 spread

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Published March 20, 2020 at 2:30 pm

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Grocery chain Sobey’s has announced that it will be taking a series of measures to help protect shoppers and employees amid the coronavirus pandemic, including installing shields, reducing hours and dedicating an hour of shopping to seniors. 

In a letter to customers, Sobey’s announced that after looking at best practices across the globe, it has tested plexiglass cashier shields as another safeguard to protect staff and customers. The brand has already begun installing them and expects to roll them out in all stores soon.

In addition, the brand says employees are washing their hands every 15 minutes and that stores have added extra resources to the frontline, allowing cashiers to wipe down common areas more often. 

The company also says that stores will have floor markers at each check out to help keep customers two metres apart. 

The brand is also reducing store hours from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm so that employees have extra time to sanitize and restock shelves. 

Sobey’s says these new measures accompany ones the brand has already taken, including introducing Senior Shopping Hour. For the first hour of every day, only senior citizens are permitted to shop in stores. 

The brand has also implemented a more rigorous cleaning protocol, stopped selling bulk items in self-serve areas, cancelled product demos and sampling and ensured that ill employees–or those who have travelled–are staying home. 

“I’m proud of the positive feedback and words of gratitude that you have been giving our teammates in the store these last few days,” said Michael Medline, President and CEO of Sobey’s, in a letter to customers.

“Together, we will all get through this.”

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