The past six months have been like no other in modern history; a global pandemic that has changed the way we live, the way we work and the way we socialize. As the province reopened over the summer months, local businesses share their thoughts and observations about how the pandemic has changed the landscape of their industry.

Retail Stores
In a pre-COVID era, one would think nothing of walking into a shop, perusing the items, touching or handling products or even trying on clothing before buying. These days, both shop owners and patrons face a very different reality. “We’ve had to adapt to ensure the safety, security and hygiene for our customers more than ever before,” says Raffaele Venturino, owner of Passion Soccer Boutique. “So far our customers have seen what we’ve done, and they appreciate it.”

From limiting the number of customers inside the store at any given time to rearranging the placement of inventory, to the constant sanitization of high-touch surfaces, Venturino and his staff have adapted to a very different reality since the reopening of retail stores last June. In addition to the extra expense of COVID-related cleaning products, the handling of physical inventory has also changed. When a client handles an item (such as a pair of shoes) or tries on a shirt but doesn’t make the purchase, the item doesn’t go directly back into the store area. It will be steam-cleaned (if possible) as well as quarantined in the storage area for at least 24 hours before it will be brought back out into circulation.

Venturino has also implemented curbside pickup for online orders and phasing in a new online shopping experience. “We have to explore how we can be more supportive for our customers without being physically present,” he says.

Restaurants
The sheer simplicity of walking into your favourite restaurant and enjoying a great meal among friends and family is part of the fabric of our social lives. These days, things are not so simple. With physical distancing in place and new public health regulations for the food service industry, restaurant owners have had their ‘plates full’ with adjusting to the new normal. “Clients entering our restaurant are immediately hit by numerous physical changes, including tables set further apart, plastic in front of the reception area, disinfectant stations, disposable menus[…]dividers and arrows directing traffic,” says Tony Silla, Owner/Operator of La Grange Urbaine.

Staff are wearing visors and constantly washing their hands as well as disinfecting surfaces. In addition to the physical changes inside the restaurant, La Grange Urbaine has also made some improvements to their takeout operations. “We offer our full menu and encourage patrons to enjoy our food at home,” says Silla. “We also introduced take-home family meals for four people with several options and freshly prepared platters.”

Health & Fitness
Kevin Antonucci, Director General of Extreme Evolution (with locations in Ste-Marthe and Laval), says that during the closures, his team made the most of technology and provided live trainings on social media such as yoga and bootcamps as a way to keep their members active. Now that gyms have reopened, Antonucci and his team have had to adapt to many new health and safety regulations to welcome their members back.

At Extreme Evolution, patrons have access to sinks at the entrance of the facility for handwashing. Staff are equipped with masks or visors. Locker rooms and showers are closed off, so patrons must come ready for their workouts and be prepared to leave quickly once they are done. Inside the facility, members must keep a two-metre distance from one another and wipe down equipment before and after use with the provided cleaning solution.

Antonucci has implemented an online reservation tool so that patrons can reserve the time and date they would like to be at the gym, thereby mitigating the risk of overcrowding with new capacity regulations and preventing patrons from having to wait in line outside or in their cars. “Our members are happy to come back as they see we have taken all the necessary measures,” he says.

Real Estate
Benoit Loyer, Certified Real Estate Broker at Courtage Immobilier Trillion Inc in Laval, specializes in commercial real estate. As the real estate industry was permitted to reopen as of last May, Loyer noticed that his clients were faced with new considerations about the amount of space they actually need in the future to operate. He says that in some cases, clients find that they need 30 per cent less space than they did before, especially if some of their workforce will continue to work from home.

“Despite the pandemic, the market is strong and our clients are optimistic,” says Loyer. When showing clients potential spaces to operate their businesses, all necessary precautions are taken. “Everyone is wearing a mask, we keep our 2-meter distance from one another, and no hand-shaking for now,” he says.

On the residential side of things, showing a home to potential buyers requires a few extra steps as well. Clients sign a waiver form and high touch areas such as door handles are disinfected before visits.

Vehicle Sales
Adrienne McGrath, Marketing Director at Jaguar Land Rover Laval, says that many physical changes had to take place in their facility both on the service and sales operations side. With the showroom closed, the sales teams have provided videos and information about new vehicles via social media, and those wishing to meet with a sales representative can do so by appointment only, for which special meeting areas equipped with plexiglass have been installed. As for test drives, masks must be worn for the time being and the windows must remain open.

“I’m so proud of our team who has persevered with such a short amount of time to adapt,” says McGrath. “We were so proactive from the start [of the pandemic]. Interest is still there [for vehicle shopping] and we have a loyal customer base.” McGrath says that a lot of the pre-sales procedures will likely be done virtually for the foreseeable future, where the client and salesperson will have virtual meetings, perhaps even virtual test drives!