Retail property organisation Revo has published a framework to support the reopening of shopping centres and retail parks, once lockdown restrictions are eased.
The guidance is drawn from elsewhere and is intended to support retail property owners in making their own preparations. It identifies communication, social distancing and hygiene as the priorities for reopening.
It also acknowledges that a “psychological shift” is required for the public to return to retail places without fear of contracting Covid-19.
Revo said it will share its framework with the British Retail Consortium and local authorities, with the aim of achieving a coordinated approach.
The organisation is also working with one of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s working groups, dedicated to non-food retail including real estate.
Revo’s framework for exiting lockdown includes:
Pre-recovery governance
• Property owners should prepare: detailed plans for how security and hygiene will be managed on site; ‘countdown’ implementation plans, working in from the lengthiest to put in place; risk assessments, including crowd control and reputational risk; and business continuity plans.
Communications
• Consider implementing a communication strategy ahead of reopening as soon as an exit date is known so that staff, visitors, and local authorities have confidence in the reopening plans.
• Update site communication with Covid-19 guidelines and new rules including social distancing and handwashing.
• Maintain a continuous dialogue with occupiers, to ensure their experience of the implementation of hygiene and security activities are meeting the site operators’ objectives.
Staff
• Consider shift work and sequential return to work patterns for staff to be brought back into the working environment. This could include team “bubbles” where small numbers work together. Staff to avoid peak travel hours where possible.
• Staff, particularly cleaning staff, should be as visible as possible to engender confidence with customers. Consider a temporary change of uniform to increase visibility.
• PPE is not recommended by Public Health England, but could be offered to staff who feel exposed.
Suppliers
• Consider restricting suppliers’ access to staff meeting rooms.
• Keep a dialogue with service suppliers, monitor their situation and have a backup plan if these are not able to sustain their operation due to personnel or financial issues.
Occupiers
• Work with occupiers to manage social distancing at entry points into and within stores, ensuring this does not prejudice common areas. Floor stickers can be utilised to regulate queuing within stores, and plexiglass sheets can be used to provide additional protection.
• Update the handbook regulations for the site, to clarify lease compliance requirements. Observing safety rules will be vital and owners and occupiers will be taking a strict approach to compliance for everyone’s safety and wellbeing.
• Plan for goods delivery and temporary storage, which may be more than usual initially. A booking system may need to be implemented based on size of the service yard.
Security and social distancing
• Establish revised centre capacity and consider tracking using footfall technology.
• Introduce one-way access points to manage capacity.
• Consider revising car park capacity, including introducing mandatory spacing between cars.
• Establish whether centre can accommodate queuing at the entrance, and liaise with local authority on management of public highway where applicable.
• Consider de-cluttering common areas to ease flow of people through the centre.
• Consider isolating food court areas from the rest of the centre in order to manage capacity.
• Trial preparations.
Hygiene
• Consider increasing contactless at touch points.
• Increase the frequency of cleaning for risk-prone areas and high-touch installations such as lift buttons, interactive displays and handrails.
• Consider providing hand sanitiser in common areas.
• Consider installing plexiglass sheets at reception desks and meeting areas to protect staff from infection.
• Consider engaging a single company for disinfecting common areas and retail units to optimise quality and coordination.
Vivienne King, chief executive at Revo, said: “While there is a clear economic imperative to reopening, public health is of paramount importance and we are committed to working with government and our members to ensure we are prepared for exiting lockdown safely.
“As controlled environments, retail parks and shopping centres are well placed to adapt to the new environment, and collaboration between property owners, retailers and local authorities will be crucial to ensure that this is an effective process and that operations are continuous.”
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