Ikea is set to reopen its doors tomorrow and has revealed what social distancing measures are being taken.
With the UK government announcing last week that all non-essential shops would be allowed to get back to business, firms have had to reevaluate how they function.
And now the Swedish furniture giant has unveiled a series of measures being taken to keep customers safe.
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First of all, stores in England will be operating on reduced opening hours, with shops open from 10am to 8pm (Monday to Saturday) and from 11am to 5pm (Sunday).
Social distancing guidelines are also being implemented, with customers asked to shop alone, with staggered entry into the stores.
A spokesperson for Ikea said: "To ensure a safe shopping experience we ask that if you can, please shop alone.
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"Only bring one other person from the same household, if you need special assistance or if you need to bring your children with you.
"There will be a queuing system outside to manage entry into the store.
"We'll have co-workers and signage throughout the store to help you stick to social distancing guidelines."
On top of this, it announced that stricter sanitary procedures are also being introduced, and customers are being asked to bring their own bags.
It said: "As you might expect, we'll be doing extra scrubbing, cleaning, and sterilising to make the whole store as safe as possible for you.
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"Hand sanitisers will be stationed throughout the store, as will new protective screens at key points such as checkouts.
"We recommend you come prepared with ready-made lists and your own bags."
Shoppers will also have to pay with a card as stores will no longer be accepting cash payments.
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It added: "We will only accept cashless payments to reduce the amount of contact between you and our co-workers.
"We have also installed safety screens at key points across the store including checkouts to provide extra protection."
And cafes will only be open for takeaways.
Here is a full list of the Ikea stores open from 1 June:
- Manchester
- Croydon
- Lakeside
- Wembley
- Milton Keynes
- Tottenham
- Nottingham
- Belfast
- Birmingham
- Warrington
- Gateshead
- Leeds
- Norwich collection point
- Sheffield
- Reading
- Southampton
- Bristol
- Exeter
- Greenwich
Across the pond, Disney is keeping things very on brand over at Disney World in Orlando, having called on its stormtroopers to help enforce social distancing at the park, which will begin a phased reopening from 11 July.
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