The government has decided to change the basic policy for dealing with the new coronavirus, including requesting the reorganization of visitors to the food department in the basement of department stores.
For large commercial facilities such as department stores, some stores have already started to take measures such as admission restrictions.
Last week, the Japan Department Store Association, which is made up of department stores, requested each company to reduce the number of visitors in the hall, including the grocery store, by 50% compared to the busy season.
This is based on the fact that the government subcommittee has recommended that the number of people in the underground food department of department stores be strongly suppressed in areas where a state of emergency has been declared.
In response to this, Mitsukoshi Isetan, Takashimaya, Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store, etc. will take steps leading to the underground food department from 14th of this month, mainly for stores in the area subject to the declaration, if the number of visitors exceeds a certain number. We have decided to introduce admission restrictions such as temporarily making it unavailable.
And on weekends, some stores put restrictions.
Manage the number of visitors with the Takashimaya camera sensor in Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Of these, at the Takashimaya store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, the number of visitors is controlled by a camera sensor installed on the ceiling near the entrance as a measure to restrict admission to the sales floor.
And if the number of people exceeds a certain number, admission to the underground grocery store will be restricted.
There are 10 entrances and exits in the sales floor, but 9 such as escalators and stairs that go underground from inside the store will be temporarily unavailable, and will be limited to the entrances and exits of the underground passage leading to the subway platform.
By doing this, we are trying to reduce the number of people in the sales floor.
A female customer who came to the store said, "Today the hall was not crowded, but I try not to stay for a long time just for shopping."
"Sogo & Seibu" Newly installed shopping cart sterilization machine
In addition to admission restrictions, Sogo & Seibu is also embarking on strengthening infection control measures, such as installing new machines to disinfect shopping carts in the grocery stores of all stores.
Even in a shopping center
On the other hand, at shopping centers, "AEON MALL" has begun efforts to reduce the number of visitors to about half of the upper limit set by the company at all 145 stores in Japan from the 8th of this month.
Furthermore, regarding the addition of areas subject to the state of emergency and the extension of the deadline, each company has a policy of considering measures based on the content of the request from the local government.