Retailers Unveil Blueprint for Shopping Safe
Blueprint encourages uniform statewide rules of operations to reopen retail
Blueprint encourages uniform statewide rules of operations to reopen retail
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the National Retail Federation (NRF) released a Blueprint for Shopping Safe today outlining a phased-in approach to reopening retail. The plan urges governors to issue uniform, statewide protocols for retailers to adopt as they reopen stores and work to keep employees and customers safe.
"As conversations turn to the reopening of the economy, retailers are uniquely situated to provide input, because we've been on both sides of the stay at home orders," said Brian Dodge, RILA president. "Groceries, pharmacies and other retailers that have remained open have implemented practices and protocols that are keeping employees and communities safe. The Blueprint released today builds off those successful operating practices. Our goal is for the safe reopen of retail, and we want everyone, policymakers, employees and our customers to know that the industry is ready to Shop Safe."
"Retailers' number one priority is customer safety, employee safety, and store and facility environment safety," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. "Since the onset of the pandemic, retailers have been following the guidance of CDC and other public health experts and are taking additional measures to keep their employees and customers safe."
The Blueprint was developed in accordance with CDC guidelines and benchmarking by leading retailers with a focus on ensuring the health and wellness of employees and customers. Retailers have been learning from each other throughout this crisis, sharing leading practices and protocols to keep stores clean and sanitized, and keeping customers and employees as safe as possible.
The Blueprint details three phases for reopening retail:
"Consistent guidelines – without overburdensome regulatory schemes – across all levels of government is critical," Shay said. "As an industry, we are committed to working with the Administration, Congressional and state leaders, and the professional medical community to help all families Shop Safe."
"As governors and state health departments evaluate conditions, we want them to have confidence that retailers are adopting the social distancing, hygiene, and sanitization practices necessary to keep customers, employees, and the entire community safe," said Dodge.
Retail Industry Leaders Association
RILA is the US trade association for leading retailers. We convene decision-makers, advocate for the industry, and promote operational excellence and innovation. Our aim is to elevate a dynamic industry by transforming the environment in which retailers operate. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs, and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers domestically and abroad.
National Retail Federation
The National Retail Federation, the world's largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation's largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.
SOURCE Retail Industry Leaders Association
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