Whilst many industries are slowing down, the interiors, home furnishings and DIY sectors are expected to see strong uplift, as more and more people are looking to decorate their homes throughout lockdown. Because of this, retailers are putting processes in place to be ready to meet the demand whilst also ensuring that their staff’s safety is to the highest level.
To do this isn’t an easy challenge, but for many retailers, the alternative simply isn’t an option. Home furnishings retailer and specialist supplier of made to measure blinds, curtains and soft furnishings, Terrys Fabrics, have implemented several processes to ensure their safety measures within their warehouse are to the highest standard, whilst also being able to continue trading.
The retailer has stripped back its usual workforce to skeleton warehouse teams, comprising of just six members of staff within teach team. All office workers can work from home which greatly reduces any contact between members of staff.
The work schedule created has ensured that both teams are always on separate shifts, so that there is no opportunity for cross contamination. Social distancing is not only actively encouraged but enforced and what was already a regular cleaning schedule has been upped even further, with the use of NHS-grade wipes at the end of each shift to clean high touchpoint areas, as well as all trolleys and workstations. The retailer has installed many sanitiser stations throughout the building as well as by each entrance and exit, in order to put the health and safety of staff at the forefront. The retailer also noted that staff were struggling with extremely dry hands from the sheer volume of necessary sanitisation, so have provided staff with PVC gloves which are being used, and sanitised, before any items are picked or packed to ensure there is no transfer either between staff or the products themselves.
Paul McGuinness, Owner of Terrys Fabrics says, “The safety and wellbeing of our staff and customers is of the upmost importance, and because of this we’ve implemented several processes which allow our teams to feel safe and comfortable within their place of work. We’re continuously in conversation with our customers so that they have the confidence in our team to deliver their orders whilst remaining safe.”
And it’s not just Terrys Fabrics that are seeing the uplift in demand throughout recent weeks, DIY stores such as Wickes and B&Q have also had to put measures in place, having recently closed all physical stores to turn their attention to online. A statement from Wickes website says “At the moment we are seeing significant demand for our products and services. As we want to ensure that you have a great experience when on the website, we have had to temporarily limit access but will get you on there as soon as we can”.
Homebase have also experienced similar demand, particularly for garden products and paint supplies. The supplier is too reassuring customers that they have put strategies in place to protect warehouse staff, implementing extra space to allow for social distancing and staggering shift changeovers. A statement from the team reads “Since closing our stores we’ve been working hard to make the necessary changes to our operations to ensure we are keeping our team and customers safe during this unprecedented global crisis”. In response to its changing business model, Homebase says, “With safety as our first priority, we have taken the decision to continue to operate online only and our home delivery service has been adapted to keep our teams safe during this time.”
For as long as lockdown continues, online retailers specialising in homeware, decorating supplies, gardening equipment and DIY are going to be under the pump, yet by implementing clear strategies, many expect that the only notable difference in their typical model will be the lead time from placing the order to receiving it. Although most courier services such as UPS and DPD are continuing to deliver packages, customers are told to expect delays in receiving their orders, whilst being assured that as much as possible for these retailers, it’s still business as usual.
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