May 20, 2020

jewelry-business-reopening

Due to the recent situation, it’s more important than ever to reassure your clients and employees about social distancing guidelines and sanitation procedures. By implementing a few simple measures before your jewelry business reopening, you can protect those in your shop and give them peace of mind.

How Other Companies Are Re-Opening Their Jewelry Business

1. PPE

Protect your employees by not allowing customers into the shop without wearing proper PPE- masks and gloves minimum- provide it if they don’t have it themselves. If your customers do not want to wear any PPE, you could offer curbside service.

2. Sanitation

Follow CDC guidelines and put out hand sanitizer at the entrance, by the counter and throughout the shop. Keep fresh air moving through the shop at all times and go cashless, so your employees don’t have to handle unsanitized cash. Sanitize all surfaces after every customer has been in the store, and maintain regular cleaning and sanitation of surfaces and regular areas of touching i.e. door handles.

3. Social Distancing

Some companies are extending their counter size with DIY wood, beams, and rope in order to meet the 6ft regulated safe distance. This will allow for safe distancing between employees and customers. Other businesses are installing plexiglass shields in order to protect while minimizing the distance between employees and customers.

4. Shop Floor

Create a one way system through the shop to prevent customers from getting too close to one another. Put down tape markers on the floor keeping 6ft between each marker from entrance to exit, following the one way system. This helps you create a maximum capacity determined by how many tape markers you have on the floor, as that indicates how many people can be in your shop at one time. Make sure to also have lines on the floor for the customer to stand away from the counters in order to protect your employees and keep them a safe distance away.

5. Online

Offer online appointments and options to order online therefore the physical shop just becomes a fulfillment drop off and pick up location. Everything should become appointment based in order to restrict the amount of customers in the shop or area at one time. Do not offer while you wait repair service anymore. It allows for customers to be in the shop for longer than they need to be.

6. Employees

Don’t allow employees over 60 years of age into work- allow them to work remotely until there is a vaccine. Divide your team into two shifts so your employees can safely move around the office and not be too close to each other.

7. Customer Intake

For businesses that intake customers jewelry for repairs- create a safe process that allows for sanitization. For example, all jewelry is placed in a plastic bag where it will be thoroughly cleaned. Change gloves in between handling each different item. Once you take in the jewelry, as the virus can survive on metal, sanitize it just to be safe. One company is even submerging the jewelry in alcohol for 15 minutes. Just be careful as to what stones you put in alcohol. Reschedule any store events there were in the calendar to live stream or a video group chat on social media, so your customers can still interact with you and see the jewelry.

8. Store Hours

Upon initially reopening, try offering limited store hours to see what the traffic is like and adjust accordingly. Alternatively, try opening for limited full days. It depends on your area, and the demand for your business.

It is important that you keep up to date with what your state government is recommending on how to reopen. We are aware that some states who have seen less cases are beginning to reopen while others who were hit particularly badly are still slowly phasing out from shutdown.

No matter what your situation is, however, focus on the positive and be proactive! Now you have seen what other companies are doing to implement safety measures, make a list of the jewelry business reopening strategies you would use in your shop, then buy the appropriate items that you will need to safely implement and set out your new shop floor. Once you have done this, it is as simple as waiting until it is safe to open your doors!

jewelry-business-reopening-infographic