Retail Intel Weekly: COVID-19 Reactions & More

COVID-19Furthering its commitment to provide greater access to COVID-19 testing and community resources, Walgreens is working to expand drive-thru testing to 15 new sites in seven states: Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. The sites will utilize Abbott’s new ID NOW COVID-19 test, which delivers positive results in as little as five minutes and negative results within 13 minutes. The retailer also expanded its Walgreens Find Care platform to include new features and telehealth service providers, connecting patients and customers with more options to get convenient and affordable access to care from their computers and mobile devices. Amazon will delay Prime Day, the annual summer sales event that typically takes place mid-July, until at least August. As a result, the company expects a potential $100 million hit from excess devices it might now sell at a discount, according to internal meeting notes seen by Reuters. The loss could be made up by Amazon's video on demand business (see Related Updates below), which is shaping up to post $100 million more in revenue than Amazon had planned for the first quarter, the document said.The company in June also will pause the Amazon Shipping service it had rolled out in a few U.S. cities to compete with UPS and FedEx in delivering non-Amazon packages, focusing instead on handling surging orders from its own customers, the Wall Street Journal reports.Walmart began limiting the number of people allowed inside its stores at one time, admitting shoppers one-by-one at a single entrance to limit traffic to about 20% of stores' usual capacity. Those waiting outside to get in are asked to stand in line at a distance of six feet apart. In some stores, shoppers are directed to one-way lanes to further create separation.The family of a Walmart employee who died from the novel coronavirus has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the retailer, alleging Walmart knew about the man’s symptoms and disregarded them.Amazon, Walmart and H-E-B are now offering employees face masks and, in some cases, gloves.Ahold Delhaize saw an astounding 34% jump in same-store sales in March due to the coronavirus and consumers stockpiling groceries, the retail giant revealed in a first quarter update press release on Tuesday, April 7. (Q1 will be reported in full on May 7.) Meanwhile, the company's Stop & Shop banner has teamed with rideshare company Uber Technologies to offer seniors half-price rides (up to $20 off) to and from all of its 400-some locations from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. (the same timeframe Stop & Shop previously designated to the vulnerable population for in-store shopping). Other COVID-19-related measures Stop & Shop has recently taken includes:limiting the number of shoppers allowed inside at a time.offering “contactless delivery” where drivers drop orders on a customer’s entryway, ring the doorbell, then depart. Customers just need to leave a note on their door requesting so. temporarily suspending in-store pickup services so the retailer can focus on stocking shelves and “other key priorities."providing gloves and face masks to all employees.installing a protective plastic shield at all registers and pharmacies.hiring a third-party cleaning service to help clean key areas more frequently.using in-store signage and floor markers to help enforce CDC social distancing guidelines.increasing the frequency at which self-service areas like belts and pin pads at registers are disinfected.Aldi began limiting the number of people inside its stores April 9 to approximately five customers per 1,000 square feet. In an April 8 email blast, the retailer explained that it will make certain these limits are followed by:stationing employees outside each store to clean carts and keep track of customers as they enter and exit.admitting shoppers into the store one at a time. A brief delay may be enforced between shoppers to allow for adequate space between customers as they enter.Aldi will give any medical professionals, with identification, immediate access to the front of any lines that may form outside its stores. The retailer will also: ask shoppers to limit their shopping to one person per family. roll out one-way aisles to better manage the flow of traffic and help shoppers maintain social distance from each other and employees. (In-store signage will direct shoppers through the store.)begin taking the temperatures of its store and warehouse employees and having them answer a few basic health screening questions before reporting to work.Kroger joins Aldi in limiting the number of shoppers in its stores. On April 7, the retailer began limiting the number of customers to 50% of the international building code's calculated capacity to allow for proper physical distancing in every store. The standard building capacity for a grocery store is 1 person per 60 square feet. Under Kroger's new reduced capacity limits, the number will be 1 person per 120 square feet.H-E-B made headlines last month for its early response and preparedness to the pandemic including communicating with Chinese counterparts beginning in January. The Texas-based grocer is keeping the focus and most recently:Doubled the market-reach of its on-demand delivery service Favor by launching in 75 new Texas markets within one week as well as expanded delivery from restaurants and stores in existing markets.Launched the Senior Support Fund to help keep its H-E-B & Favor Senior Support Program affordable. 100% of contributions are directly applied to seniors’ orders.Added an “Easy Ordering & Delivery” website to the senior program to offer a simple, step-by-step ordering option from their local H-E-B, Central Market or Joe V’s Stores from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.Launched a pilot program to help local restaurants suffering by selling ready-made meals from restaurant partners at select H-E-B stores. All proceeds go directly to the restaurants.Costco is temporarily allowing members who are healthcare workers and first responders including police officers, EMTs and firefighters “priority access” to its clubs. First responders can move to the front of any line to enter a warehouse by presenting their membership card and official identification of their role.Lowe's will close all of its U.S. and Canada stores for Easter Sunday, April 12. The home improvement retailer said it wanted to show its gratitude and recognize the hard work of its 300,000 employees. "We will take steps to ensure that no hourly associate loses scheduled hours or has a reduction in pay as a result of closing on Sunday," Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison said in a media release.Other retailers that closed on Easter include Publix, H-E-B, BJ's Wholesale Club, Sam's Club, Costco, Target and Aldi. Walmart remained open. Most Albertsons Cos. chains, Ahold Delhaize USA and Whole Foods Markets closed early.WALMARTInnerScope Hearing Technologies is bringing its hearing loss information center to all of Pursuant Health’s self-service wellness screening kiosks located near the pharmacy counters in Walmart stores. Scheduled to launch by June in 4,618 Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market locations, the information center will encourage consumers to treat their hearing loss by either being referred locally to a contracted hearing healthcare professional, or by directly purchasing one of InnerScope’s hearing products. InnerScope will also sell its products on Walmart.com as a wholesale direct-ship vendor.

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