Keep the shopping spree COVID-free! Behavioural psychologist Martin Lindstrom on post-lockdown Christmas shopping
01 Dec 2020
This Wednesday marks the re-opening of all non-essential shops in England: a much-needed boost for the retail sector and, frankly, nationwide morale. As we emerge from Lockdown 2.0 and head out Christmas shopping, this greatly-anticipated annual tradition doesn’t come without risk…
Protek is the world’s first health, safety and well-being assurance programme, designed to provide businesses, employees and consumers with the confidence they need to adjust to life in a global pandemic. The team of experts at Protek are working closely with behavioural psychologist and New York Times best-selling author Martin Lindstrom to shun the scaremongery and offer a series of free, easy-to-read guides on how to live in this COVID era.
Given the uncertainties of the regional tier system, life may well be very much restricted in some parts of the country and many will find it difficult to navigate this new normal. That said, this year’s Christmas shopping spree is admittedly still a bit of a minefield of dos, don’ts and don’t-knows. Be it groceries or gift-buying, Martin Lindstrom and the Protek team give us the low-down on how best to shop post-lockdown…
- Shop at odd hours: between 10 and 11:30am is quietest, and therefore safest. Monday has shown to be the quietest day of the week and avoid Friday and Saturday altogether!
- Much has been said about the frequency of shopping. Aim to shop for your big bulky essential items monthly, but realistically we need to shop for fresh produce much more frequently so I would aim for three times per week: Monday, Wednesday and Sunday. This is the best way to shop local and support those struggling small independent retailers that really need our custom. Farmers’ Markets are brilliant – they are outdoor, comparatively very safe and a real pleasure
- With regards to Christmas shopping, please don’t cut this out! Restrictions may well still apply in your area, but this is such a vital time of year for the small independents. Christmas shopping is also a real ritual and something that so many of us look forward to. After all, buying a gift really is just as enjoyable as receiving a gift. If you just click away on those big consumer sites that we have become all too familiar with, you really are removing all the fun!
- Within reason, it’s perfectly fine to take your children shopping with you. By and large we aren’t seeing those huge queues outside supermarkets so having one or two children in tow isn’t a problem. It poses no more of a risk in terms of infection
- How to deal with the COVID-deniers? If fellow shoppers refuse to wear a mask or don’t respect social distancing, just let it go. Don’t get angry and don’t let that negative energy surround you: it will ruin your day. These people will be highly aware that they are not wearing a mask and breaking the rules, and will no doubt be reminded of this by so many others. Just move on.
- On the subject of masks, we all forget them from time to time; we’re human. Try to avoid that inevitable trudge back to the car or house by having a mask in every pocket and keeping them attached to the sleeve of your coat. That way, your mask is already on your sleeve when you pull on your coat and leave the house. Of course the key point here is to wash your masks all the time
- Cash really is a risk; don’t use it. Using cash increases your risk of catching COVID by approximately 35%. We know the gruesome facts about the bugs harboured on notes and coins – COVID is no different. On average 700 people touch any given note over the course of a year and, as we know, the virus can stick around for up to five days. It’s not worth the risk
- Should we all be opting for hazmat? No. There is really no need to go to these lengths or indeed change into a separate outfit when heading to the shops. I’ve seen this first hand and it’s madness: the precautions taken simply don’t justify the level of discomfort and the impact on daily life. Once again, it’s all about washing hands, wearing masks and keeping a distance
- Once home, use your judgement on sanitizing your shopping. There are varying degrees to which you can do this. I would recommend sanitizing the tops of cans and cleaning – with water – anything that goes straight into your mouth, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. There’s no need to go overboard here. Yes we know that the virus hangs around on surfaces, but the average product in a store is touched by one person/day (unless of course you are rummaging through discount rails/bins) so the risks are much higher when we’re talking about coughing, sneezing and not wearing a mask
- We all have a responsibility to help the elderly and vulnerable during this time. It is completely safe to shop and cook for them, if you have the time and money to do so. Also, helping others that are less able genuinely makes you feel good. In many ways, we often overlook the older generation in modern day-to-day life; this demographic has been very much marginalised. The pandemic serves as a wake-up call to time to spend some time with them, and for them
Follow these ten top tips and you can head out to the shops safe in the knowledge that you’ve done all you can to steer clear of COVID.
For more COVID-related safety tips from Protek, including the recently-released free travel tips e-book/audio podcast by Martin Lindstrom entitled Travel Truth and Lies Unmasked, visit here.
Contacts
For further information please contact:
Caroline Blake; Shellwood Blake:
Telephone: +44 7721 859 847
Email: caroline.blake@shellwoodblake.com
For more information about Intertek Protek please contact:
FTI Consulting
Jonathon Brill:
Telephone: +44 7836 622 683
Sam Macpherson:
Telephone: +44 7971 712 207
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