In light of various closures and concerns related to COVID-19, grocery stores and one area pizza delivery business are reaching out to their customers to keep them informed of the various measures in place.
Frank Curci, chief executive officer of Tops Friendly Markets, released a statement via email to Tops customers Friday. He started by saying,
“The health and well-being of our associates and customers has always been and will continue to be our first priority. Our internal Crisis Management Team that has been in place for decades, has been preparing for the COVID-19 event since January and has been closely monitoring the developments and making adjustments accordingly.”
He explained that all Tops stores have “increased communications with our stores and associates and reiterated proper sanitation procedures; added extra supplies like hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, and disinfectants to help combat the spread of germs; iIncreased cleaning cycles especially in commonly used areas like cashier stations and self-checkouts; and increased the frequency of sanitizing and cleaning of food contact surfaces, pharmacy counters, restrooms, break rooms and other public areas.”
Curci’s statement also noted that efforts are in place to make sure that “the food, cleaning supplies, household essentials, and pharmaceuticals that you need are reaching our stores as quickly as possible and are available to purchase in-store, with grocery pick-up or by delivery.”
Meanwhile, a statement issued by Wal-mart on Tuesday stated that the situation was being closely monitored on a daily basis. Store officials plan to adjust “business operations and policies as needed.”
The statement outlines the various preventive measures in play, including daily cleansing of all stores, particularly the high-touch, high-traffic areas; dedicated associates for maintaining key store areas throughout the day and additional cleaning supplies in use at registers and on shopping carts.
The release stated, “Looking forward, we are pursuing easier ways to sanitize shopping carts. We also have plans in place for third-party sanitization should it be needed for a store impacted by the virus. And we are evaluating whether to modify store hours at some 24-hour facilities to allow for additional cleaning.”
Prices are to remain fair and stores well-stocked, per the release. Also, “as the largest employer in the country, we take the health of our associates seriously. As we’ve said before, we want any associate who is not feeling well to stay home. We shared with our associates details of a new policy that gives them additional flexibility to stay home if they are not feeling well, and pay options and support if they are affected by the virus. Out of an abundance of caution, we have also shared additional guidelines pertaining to company travel over the next couple of months.”
The release also encourages customers to try alternative methods of re-supplying their residences, including pickup and shopping through Walmart.com.
Kevin Hochman, President of Pizza Hut, shared the following details on the efforts to protect Pizza Hut customers:
“I wanted to share the additional actions that we’re taking to ensure a safe environment when you visit one of our 7,000+ Pizza Hut restaurants in the U.S.
“Most immediately, we’ve increased the frequency of our already strict cleaning procedures at high touch point areas in our restaurants like door handles, front counters, seating areas, and where applicable, buffet and salad bar areas. We’ve also enhanced hand hygiene, cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and re-emphasized the importance of our brand health standards and protocols.”
Hochman’s statement notes that the franchise is committed to keeping customers safe while still providing the pizza they love.
“Pizza Hut has a decades-long history of safe and reliable delivery—from our kitchen to your home—and we’re preparing our team of 42,000 Pizza Hut-dedicated drivers for an increased demand in online ordering and delivery service.
“Pizza Hut has been delivering pizzas for decades and we’ll evolve with this situation, too. We’ve added new procedures for contactless delivery. No matter your location, if you want a more contactless option and prefer your pizza left at the door upon delivery, no problem. Just tell us in the special instructions section as you’re placing your order. We’re also reemphasizing cleanliness and hygiene protocols with our drivers, including our longstanding policy of regularly disinfecting delivery bags.”
He also touched on the importance of healthy employees, noting that the plan is for any employee who comes into direct contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, self-quarantine will be required. Those employees will receive pay for regularly scheduled hours, as will any who work at a restaurant that is closed due to COVID-19 related issues.
