Giant Food, a Washington D.C. regional grocery chain, announced two new social distancing policies put into effect across all of its stores as they continue to provide an essential service for the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Giant is taking these additional steps:
One-Way Aisle Traffic
Giant is implementing one-way aisle traffic across all stores to support social distancing and improve the flow of customer traffic. Arrow markers on the floor will designate traffic direction throughout the aisles and associates will be available to point customers in the correct directions. Signage will also be available in store to remind customers to observe six feet of distance from others. Shoppers will begin to see the new policy starting today.
Store Capacity Limits
Beginning April 9, Giant is also implementing a customer count limit in its stores. Occupancy will be limited to 20% of each specific store’s overall capacity taking into consideration shelving and display fixtures. To manage customer occupancy limits, an associate will be stationed at the front entrance tracking shopper flow. Signage will be placed at front entrances communicating the updated occupancy limits. We appreciate our customers’ cooperation and encourage them to shop with as few family members as possible.
“We are continuing to learn and adapt to the new ways of working during this challenging time and believe that these additional measures will allow us to further promote safe social distancing practices in our aisles to keep our customers and associates safe,” said Ira Kress, Interim President at Giant Food. “We will continue to look for ways to make shopping as safe and easy as possible to keep our doors open as we provide this essential service to our communities.”
In previous weeks, Giant Food has also implemented other policies including designating special shopping hours for senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals, increasing sanitizing and disinfection procedures of “high-touch areas” across all stores, equipping associates with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) plastic face shields as well as disinfecting wipes, gloves, hand sanitizers and installing plexiglass shields at cash registers, pharmacy counters and customer service desks. Giant Delivers also implemented contactless delivery.
About Giant Food
Giant Food is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 163 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 163 stores are 154 full-service pharmacies, 81 full-service PNC Banks and 23 Starbucks locations. With flexible options and convenient solutions, Giant fits all the ways today’s busy consumers want to shop – whether in store, via Giant Pickup or home delivery from Giant Delivers which combined serves 157 store locations.
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