How The Square in Camberley is preparing to welcome shoppers back to the centre

Plans have been unveiled at The Square in Camberley, demonstrating the steps they are taking to make the shopping journey as safe as possible for customers when they visit the centre.

While essential stores including Boots, Sainsbury’s and Poundland have remained open for essential goods and services throughout the lockdown, the announcement that non-essential retail can re-open from 15th June means the centre is now further increasing it’s safety measures.

The centre’s safeguards include hand sanitiser dispensers throughout the centre and increased cleaning and disinfecting of public facilities, entrance touchpoints and the customer toilet complex.

A live occupancy system will be used to manage the number of people inside the shopping centre, as lower numbers are required in order to provide social distancing in the malls. Customers will use dedicated entrance and exit doors and a one-way system will ask people to walk on the left.

Centre staff have been issued with guidelines to wash their hands often, wear gloves and masks where required and remain at home should they develop symptoms. All the safety measures for staff and customers will be reviewed as numbers increase and guidelines are updated.

Signage is being installed throughout The Square to advise customers on social distancing, store queues and the safe use of services.

Updated cleaning procedures, customer safety, queue requirements and retailer restrictions will be on the centre’s website and social media pages.

Rhoda Joseph, Centre Manager said, “The centre has continued to be open to customers over the last two months. Enhanced cleaning procedures and queueing systems were put in place from the outset for the safety of customers and staff. With the wider opening up of further retail stores, we are implementing additional measures to be sure increased numbers of customers can visit the centre safely”.

Rhoda continued, “Many stores will have restrictions on customer numbers they can have in store at a time, so customers should expect to wait before they can access the store they wish to visit, especially at popular times. We have been working with retailers throughout – stores will put their own precautions in place in addition to those we have implemented for the centre.

It is really important that customers know what to expect when they visit us after 15th June. It will be a different experience for some time yet, but we will be working hard to welcome customers and staff and keep them safe, while establishing a new normal.”