When the Homebase DIY chain was required to restrict its services to Click & Collect, it may not have been evident that 20 of its outlets would re-open within a month of the government-imposed shutdown.
The Altrincham-based branch of Homebase was one of the first stores to resume trading on this click and collect basis. Poster printing can be useful if organisations have to respond to urgent change, particularly when customers have to be kept informed about fresh developments.
Damian McGloughlin is the chief executive officer at Homebase. He explained how the precautionary principle had been adopted in order to implement a temporary closure. Work had to be completed to ensure that the re-opening was conducted in a responsible way. He said:
“We have taken this time to carefully review and make a large number of changes to our operations in preparation for a safe, phased reopening, in line with government guidance on social distancing.”
It is clear that the resumption of Homebase’s operations within Altrincham’s retail park was part of a wider trial. The hope was that more than 130 closed stores could soon follow in its footsteps. The DIY business paid close attention to government advice and this information guided the approach taken. For instance, rigid rules were adopted to protect consumers and workers.