Most retailers still allow their customers to try on the clothing – although Roots, for example, does not. According to Ms. Brisebois, the capacity of the changing rooms will be reduced by half to ensure physical distance in this corner of the store.
The cleaning of the changing rooms is also of great importance. “The employees will disinfect the cabin after each client,” says Brisebois. The stores will also quarantine the clothes that have been tried on, or give them a little steam, before replacing them in the store.
Here’s what experts think of some of these store-promised security measures:
Quarantine
Most stores in Canada want to quarantine their clothes for 24 to 72 hours. Furness says a day’s delay is “a reasonable precaution to take.”
Professor Brar, however, promotes the precautionary principle because we do not know how long the virus can survive on different types of tissue. Forty a day may be enough for cotton, but not necessarily for synthetic fabrics. “I guess one working week would be enough – five days,” she suggested.
The steam
Brar says it would be “effective” because viruses don’t like moisture.
Furness agrees, but said that it is not known at what temperature and for how long it should be done before the virus is deactivated. But he calls the killing “pretty impressive”.
“I wish there was a little more research to confirm it (…) but in theory I would say it should be deadly effective.”
Gloves
Experts agree that asking employees or customers to wear gloves while shopping would not be very effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Professor Brar recalls that gloves could actually carry the virus on other surfaces, especially when used for long periods of time.
Mr. Furness also believes that the gloves are problematic because they cannot be disinfected. On the other hand, hands can be: he would actually prefer that people wash their hands regularly.
Less accessible items
According to Ms. Brisebois, most merchants move items behind the counter or a Plexiglas screen: employees can give customers the items they want to see more closely, then disinfect them.
Make-up counters are also changing, explains Ms. Brisebois: stores are implementing video technology to replace samples that would normally be used by customers to try a product.
–
