Covid-19: Shoppers scared to return when US stores reopen

Bloomberg

When their doors finally open after mandatory shutdowns, American malls could face another hurdle: consumer fears.
Only one-third of American adults surveyed said that they will feel safe shopping in a mall after stores reopen, according to a new study by retail predictive analytics company First Insight Inc. More respondents said they’ll feel safe shopping in grocery, drug and big-box stores like Target and Walmart — outlets that largely remained open during the outbreak to sell essential goods.
Even before the pandemic hit, mall owners were facing a dwindling number of shoppers. To tempt people back, some malls added elements like amusement parks, movie theatres and upgraded food courts — just the types of crowded places that became off-limits when social distancing began.
As retailers reopen after mandatory stay-at-home periods, Greg Petro, chief executive officer of First Insight, said in a statement that “malls in particular need to be thinking of ways to inspire a sense of safety for consumers, and it will need to go beyond offering gloves and masks at the door.”
China may show the way. As the nation reopened businesses following its quarantines, it’s become standard
to check the temperatures of patrons entering shopping destinations.
Some stores in China are being cleaned multiple times during the day. And fitting rooms and products that have been tried on are being disinfected after each use.
Safety concerns may also shift the shopper demographics. More men than women said they’ll feel safe in each type of retail outlet after Covid-19, the study found.