This is What HomeGoods Looks Like Post COVID-19 Shutdown
With plenty of stores beginning to reopen after COVID-19-induced shutdowns, we at House Beautiful knew where to head first: HomeGoods. And, no surprise—it’s still one of the best home stores to shop from, but there are some changes to the store since the shutdown. We spoke to Scott Douglas, store manager of a HomeGoods in Long Island, New York, to find out just how much has changed at the store since its recent reopening.
The most notable differences at this newly reopened HomeGoods store are:
Only so many people can be in the store at one time, so the total number of customers inside is closely monitored.
Every customer and employee is always wearing a face mask.
Employees offer to clean customers’ shopping carts upon entry.
Store hours are now limited.
“All touchable surfaces [are cleaned] every hour, on the hour, until we close,” says Douglas.
There are now stickers on the floors of the aisles, which say “one way” and include an arrow, to designate which direction customers should be walking in, in order to ensure proper social distancing.
The checkout line has stickers on the floor that say “practice social distancing” and “please stand here.”
Stores are offering contactless home delivery for select purchases.
In the short time since reopening, this particular HomeGoods store has tripled its sales volume. When asked if he thinks people are more likely to decorate now that they've been spending more time at home, Douglas says, “Oh God, yes.”
The first change you’ll notice is that there is now a limit on the amount of customers that can be in the store at the same time, so HomeGoods employees, including Douglas, will greet customers, offer to wipe down baskets for them, and keep track of how many people are leaving and entering. If the maximum number of shoppers is reached, other potential customers have to wait right outside the store (which isn’t much of a long wait, fortunately) until others complete their visit. Because of this new way of greeting shoppers, combined with an “hourly cleaning regime” of “all touchable surfaces,” Douglas says the store has been able to create new jobs: "We normally wouldn’t have two people standing up here the whole day, and we normally wouldn’t have the cleaning hours," he explains.
Plenty of new signs and floor stickers have been added throughout the store, including those reading “one way” and featuring an arrow, so that customers keep their distance from one another and stay safe. Similarly, the checkout area of this HomeGoods features stickers that include the phrases “practice social distancing” and “please stand here,” to encourage social distancing.
Of course, all employees and shoppers are always wearing face masks, and there are still eccentric items that you can only find at HomeGoods, like a vintage-looking Tiffany blue ice cream cart attached to a bicycle. And, if you need a delivery, they offer contactless home deliveries. Happy shopping!
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
You Might Also Like
