As Covid-19 spread across Europe and was declared a global pandemic, Via Outlets was ordered to close eight of its 11 premium fashion outlet centres spread across nine different European countries – specifically those in Central Europe and Iberia.

After 12 weeks of restrictions, there have been some glimmers of hope as lockdowns have been lifted and restrictions eased.

While many countries and regions still have weeks to go until their societies can go back to some sort of normality – as the UK will on June 15 – Via Outlets has already been able to reopen seven of our closed centres, bringing the total number of open centres to 10. The remaining one in Portugal is likely to open in the next few weeks.

As long awaited as getting the green light to reopen is, it poses a whole new set of challenges for the retail industry, which must adapt quickly and remain on constant alert to ensure a safe experience for centre staff, retailers, brand partners and guests. So, how have we handled it and what have we learned?

Throughout the pandemic, Via Outlets has closely followed the advice of local governments in our different jurisdictions, and we continue to do so as we reopen our portfolio.

There have been a few interpretations – Norway and Sweden did not close at all – but it means taking any and all measures deemed necessary and choosing to abstain from activities that are not in line with current advice.

Unlike some centres in Asia, we have opted not to implement temperature-checking or other types of screening of guests before allowing them to enter our centres, instead taking a trust-based approach of asking guests not to visit if presenting symptoms.

“The main priority for us and any landlords reopening during Covid-19 is to allow for social distancing, while remaining commercially viable to trade”

In order to mitigate the risk of any viral spread in the centres, we have developed our own internal set of guidelines in a new shopping protocol, which guides us and our centre staff as we navigate these uncharted waters.

Although the World Health Organization is saying one metre as a guideline for social distancing, most health authorities in Europe are calling for distances of two metres between people from different households.

The main priority for us and any landlords reopening during Covid-19 is to allow for social distancing, and what that means around centres and stores, while remaining commercially viable to trade.

While most of Via Outlets’ centres are open-air, in itself helping to lessen the spread of any viruses, careful measures have been put in place to allow for proper distancing and to remind guests what that means.

Caution tape, measuring devices, and crowd and queue management systems are all part of this. We are also limiting the number of people inside stores at any one time, introducing a ‘one in, one out’ policy where required, which has impacted on staffing.

In some regions – namely Germany, Poland, Switzerland and the Netherlands – we need to adhere to a maximum number of people in the centres at any one time, in which case centre staff have access to footfall counter data or handheld counters at the entrance.

Hygiene has never been more important and Via Outlets is working to reinforce hygiene messages for guests, particularly in restroom and food areas, so signage has been key.

Hygiene stations have been put in place throughout the centres and inside the stores, while the day-to-day cleaning of centres has been ramped up. Certain areas, such as children’s play areas and restaurant seating spaces, have been temporarily closed off.

Parts of the shopping experience have been limited or adapted to meet safety requirements, at least for the time being. Our restaurants and cafes – a key component in any modern retail centre – have become takeaway-only, while in some countries changing-room facilities have been closed off.

“We are trialling a range of new services, including offering guests the option to shop by appointment outside normal trading hours or getting the support of a virtual personal shopper”

New returns procedures, in which returned clothes need to be quarantined for three days before being put back on the shelves and rails, have been introduced.

Customer service has been adapted to an approach involving less interpersonal contact, which affects beauty and footwear stores in particular.

On the other hand, we are trialling a range of new services to make up for this, including offering guests the option to shop by appointment outside normal trading hours or getting the support of a virtual personal shopper.

In a bid to support retailers affected by worldwide closures, we are also offering our brand partners additional space to offload excess accumulated stock by creating pop-up spaces, for example, in centres where they already have a presence or in new centres or markets.

We are taking a test-and-learn approach to see which measures are effective, but for now we all have a collective responsibility to offer guests an environment in which they feel safe, while delivering the shopping experience they deserve – even during a global pandemic.