As Indian companies slowly look to reopen post the lockdown, many new changes will have to be implemented. Xiaomi and Samsung, which have some of the biggest retail store networks in the country have detailed how they will be making the transition.
With people accepting that life will have to co-exist along with Covid-19, new measures will have to be brought in to ensure that public life is not risked. To help shops reopen, a public-private initiative called “Suraksha” has been introduced. All stores will have to be registered with them, after which they will be educated and given extensive training on how to operate safely. Post the training, the shops will be assed and upon satisfactory results, will be given their Suraksha certification.
A big chunk of smartphones and tech sold in India takes places through offline channels via retail stores. Xiaomi and Samsung have thousands of stories across the country where smartphones and other tech-lifestyle products are sold. Thankfully, they are also amongst the first companies to get Suraksha certified and cleared to reopen.
The new way of shopping
No mask, no entry
Temperature checks upon entry
Compulsory hand sanitization
No touching the goods
Digital payments
As expected, a lot of precautionary changes have been made. This includes following all social-distancing guidelines and avoiding all unnecessary contact. This starts with only a limited number of customers allowed into the story at any point. Even outside the store, patrons will have to wait in an orderly fashion at a safe distance away from each other. Masks will be compulsory.
Upon entry, all customers will have to go through a temperature scan, followed by sanitizing their hands. Failure to comply will result in the person being asked to leave. Unlike the past, products on display will not be allowed to be touched. Surfaces will have to be sanitized at regular intervals too. Xiaomi may allow some customers to touch a product, but only after they put on a pair of gloves. At the point of sale, touchless digital payments will be encouraged to further avoid contact with customers.
All products will also be made available online for people unwilling to visit a store. Such products can be bought from the company’s website directly and will be shipped to their residence.
Eventually, all stores in the country, especially those in vulnerable areas, will have to comply with similar guidelines if they want to function. This is just a fragment of how life in the “new normal” is going to be.
