SM Retail stores assure shoppers that their safety and convenience remain a top priority amid efforts to reopen the economy reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SM Retail is comprised of The SM Store and other specialty brands such as Kultura, SM Appliance Center, Our Home, Baby Company, Surplus Shop, Toy Kingdom, and Pet Express, among others.
As the government continues to ease restrictions to buoy efforts to revive the economy, these stores have implemented stringent measures to ensure the wellbeing of their employees and customers.
SM Retail stores are regularly cleaned and disinfected. Shoppers must go through temperature check and must wear their face mask and face shield before going inside the facilities. Public areas such as aisles and escalators are marked and access points are controlled to regulate the number of entrants and promote the practice of physical distancing. Shopping carts and baskets are regularly sanitized. Hand sanitizers and hand soaps are available in strategic locations, ensuring that both customers and employees are practicing proper hand hygiene. Sales personnel follow a prescribed distance when dealing with customers. SM Retail stores also take part in Trace Together, the contact tracing initiative of The SM Group of Companies as a response to the government’s effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.
SM Retail stores also remind their employees and shoppers about precautionary measures to fight COVID-19 through physical and digital information materials. Signages at store entrances remind shoppers to follow guidelines for their own safety.
The same stringent measures are implemented in the back offices of SM Retail. All employees and service providers of SM Retail undergo regular COVID-19 testing. This is to rule out any potential COVID-19 cases in the company premises. Employees get their temperature checked three times during their shift and must also accomplish a health survey daily. They must wear face mask and other applicable PPEs (personal protective equipment) while at work. Office spaces have also been reconfigured to promote physical distancing among employees.
SM Retail is implementing a hybrid strategy to reach and provide convenience to its customers. While making sure its stores are safe, SM is also introducing innovations in its retail operations.
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