How to shop – From the 15th June 2020, retail shopping is going to be very different for a while – and I care that you keep yourselves as safe as you can. Nothing can protect you from getting COVID-19 unless you live completely on your own and never leave the house again! A little unrealistic and not great for your mental health.
We can only be responsible for ourselves, and if you try hard to stick to the rules, keep a safe distance and keep washing your hands – then you minimise your chances of getting this virus. Every shop is going to have their own set of rules taken from the advice that they have been given by the government.
My first tip to you is to do some research before you head out to the shops. Plan what it is you need to buy; plan where you need to go and get those items from.
Once you know the retailers you need to visit, head to their website and they should (if they are any good) be telling you very clearly what to expect when you head to their store.
This is no time to be a rule breaker! Free styling and not being prepared is putting other people’s lives at risk. For small boutiques or small market towns that tend to have little shops – I would recommend phoning them and get the details direct from the owner.
There is no quick shopping at the moment – you can’t just dash in! You need to keep your distance, follow the arrows and the direction of the route laid out in store. You’ll find in some shops it’s difficult to backtrack if you’ve missed something, so you may have to start again (this has happened to me more than once!).
I also recommend writing your shopping list on a piece of paper – continuously referring to your smart phone not only holds up the people behind you but also you are transferring germs from your hands (even with gloves on!).
You need think about how you are getting to the shops – if you are taking any public transport you WILL NEED a face covering or you will not be allowed to board the taxi, bus, tube or train (think about it – you might be walking there, but if the weather turns, you may need public transportation back).
As for car parking… that may have changed too; my supermarket there has been no changes but my garden centre it’s every other one – which means you may have to queue to park.
And don’t forget that public toilets are unlikely to be open, again do your research and check before heading long distance – you don’t want to get caught short 😉
Here are my three W’s to remember on heading out to the shops…
WATCH YOUR DISTANCE
I believe this is the most important rule to follow – keep yourself 2 metres away from the next customer, and respect their space. Each shop will have their own rules, when you arrive make yourself aware of them and that you follow them. You may have to queue outside for a while before you can enter, so make sure you are dressed for the weather and that you have left enough time (and parking time on your car).
If you just want to browse, may I suggest you leave your shopping to later in the day – intentional shoppers are likely to be keen to be there when the shops first open, with a mindset of getting in and out as quickly as possible. Retailers need intentional shoppers, not to say they don’t want your business too in the future, but with less people going in, they need that till to cash through those who actually came to shop.
Be considerate about touching any merchandise if you have no intention to buy – the retailer again needs to clean anything that has been touched, so if you don’t need, don’t touch it.
WASH YOUR HANDS
I think this has been my biggest moan in 2020 – I seriously cannot believe we are having to tell adults to keep up with their personal hygiene – it baffles me! More than ever (and now that they are back in stock in shops) you need small hand sanitisers; in your handbag, in your tote bag and in your car. I use it every time I leave a store. I re-apply before entering any store if they ask me too, even if I have just used my own. It’s their rules!
I thought at the start of this, wearing gloves would protect me and everyone else – it’s been proven that those that are wearing disposable gloves are transferring germs more than those that don’t – why?
- You are touching more items because you think it’s okay as you are wearing gloves
- You are still touching your hair, face and phone – again transferring germs
- People are not disposing of the gloves responsibly – throwing them on the floor or in hedge-ways because you don’t want them in your car – this puts animals and our environment at risk
If you don’t wear gloves; you touch less, you avoid touching your face, you’ll be less keen to touch your phone – and you will remember to wash your hands!
WEAR A FACE COVERING
If you are standing in a field all on your own…. you don’t need to! However, it’s going to become common curtesy in small shops, very busy public areas in towns and cites and most importantly mandatory on all public transport to wear a face covering.
Taxis, buses and trains are unlikely to let you on, and even if they do… other passengers will not be happy with you, if you are not covering your nose and mouth. Non-medical face masks are the must have accessory for 2020 #fact – Make your own or buy one – but have one on you.
Read on for more advice on buying a face mask.
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WEAR TO BUY A FACE MASK / FACE COVERING
These are non-medical face masks or face coverings. There are a lot of news articles explaining the differences which I will not be going into detail about. I will be sharing with you the two different types of masks I have purchased along with sharing two small businesses who are selling their own.
BAUKJEN – Non Medical Face Masks – 5 pack – Adult and Child – £25
This is the one I am wearing in the photo – I purchased it very early on in lockdown as I wanted to be prepared. You buy 5 (4 adult and 1 child) but they actually send you 10, to enable you to share with family and neighbours – which is exactly what I did.
At the time I purchased, you couldn’t choose colours, I’m a little unclear on the website if that has changed, but you get 10 masks for £25 and it’s a non-profit initiative and you can wash them up to 10 times. They are and feel ‘home made’.
Amazon 8 Pack set in black and white – £18.99
This next one I purchased last week, they are simple and very plain – but that’s what I wanted. As soon as I heard they were mandatory, I thought… I need to get my husband to wear one – how am I going to do that? By making sure they are plain and simple.
These do not have multi-layering – but for the very little use of wear they are going to have (we are not public transport commuters) they will do what we need, to meet guidelines.
Remember – Face coverings do not protect you from COVID-19 – they make it more polite to be in crowded areas where you can’t keep 2 metres apart and if you sneeze or cough your germs remain on you!
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I chat through these two face masks on a video I did for IGTV
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Small business owners, Stephanie and Jacqueline of Perfectly Imperfect on Instagram have these beautiful one-off masks. All vintage cotton, pretty lace and bows. You just need to pop a message in their DM inbox on Instagram to order. They sell them individually or a pack of three.
Chloe James Lifestyle are selling two different styles online, you can opt for African or Shirt print – Prices start from £10 and Chloe James Lifestyle offer FREE POSTAGE on all online purchases.
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