ABEST creates protocol for the reopening of fashion retail in São Paulo city
In the face of the global crisis caused by COVID-19, the Brazilian Fashion Designers Association prepared a protocol proposal for fashion brands orientation and adaptation in the period of activities and social circulation reopening. The protocol was sent to São Paulo city hall, which will analyze the proposal together with the Secretary for Economic Development and Labor and the Secretary of Health.
São Paulo city hall wants to resume the reopening of the economy alongside with the sectorial unions so that the reopening will take place in the safest way, preventing coronavirus contagion from employees and customers.
Check the proposed protocol below:
CONSUMER COURSE OF ACTION
Cleaning
• Hand sanitizer must be available at the entrance and inside of store locations.
• Objects of systematic use and all surfaces must be clean and disinfect. Credit card machines and readers must be wiped in front of the customer before use and bundled up in clear plastic wrap.
• All store entrances must have cleaning shoes solutions available for customers.
• Locations must remove services and amenities that delay customers exiting the stores.
• It is imperative that the adopted hygiene protocol is flagged clearly in the stores, bringing maximum security to the customer.
• Stores must consider keeping the changing rooms closed, or ensuring social distance between fitting rooms, and incorporating its regular heavy and detailed cleaning.
• Stores must consider some possible solutions for the try out pieces and touched inventory, which include its storage, the use of technological cleaning products that kill the virus or the use of high temperature steamers.
• Stores should invest in glass or acrylic displays, which highlight the goods and make its easy cleaning, in addition to visual resources such as video or images that show its use. If the customer tries something out, everything that he or she touches must be sanitized.
Disclosures
• Inform clearly, through audiovisual resources, in physical spaces and even on social media, the hygiene protocols adopted by the brand, as well as guidelines for safe servicing in stores.
Social Distancing
• Limiting the number of consumers within the store, ensuring that they are at a minimum distance of 1.5m (6 feet -about 2 arms’ length) between customers and / or employees.
• Whenever possible, adopting self-servicing and delivery solutions.
Opening hours
• Operating at reduced hours, as directed by the health authorities, in addition to studying the possibility of a period of the day to attend scheduled appointments only.
• Enforcing mandatory masks usage by customers and employees.
• Cloth masks must be double layered and must be changed every 2 hours or whenever it gets damp. After its use, the mask must be stored in a sealed plastic bag to be washed at home, and ironed in high temperatures.
• Disposable masks must be made of TNT and may be disposed of in ordinary trash cans.
• Remove the face covering by un-tying it or removing the loops from your ears, avoiding touching the front of the mask when removing it.
THE CREW
• Make your team feel safe with clear communication, with hygiene and safety equipment (hand sanitizer, masks and / or gloves) provided.
• Removing sensitive risk groups employees and reducing overall number of employees inside the stores, using alternative working schedules.
• Avoiding sharing of personal items, such as computers, landlines and cell phones. If there is a need to share, sanitize the item before and after sharing it with hand sanitizer or 70% Alcohol.
• Performing crew’s temperature and well being checks on arrival and departure from work place. If a worker shows COVID-19 symptoms, he or she must immediately inform the manager for immediate withdrawal from the team. The person’s return shall only be allowed after being cleared by medical authorization.
• The WHO recommendation is that all teams members that have had direct contact with the infected employee must be isolated for 14 days.
