Page 38 - HW April 2020

global eyes
Anti-pandemic measures not universal
AS WE COMPILE this issue during the
rst week in April, thanks to the uneven spread of COVID-19 around the globe and the varied national let alone local reactions to its impact, it remains di cult to get ahead of the curve from a news perspective. Still, here goes...
NORTH AMERICA –
A MEASURED RESPONSE
With the 2020 National Hardware Show now rescheduled for 1-3 September at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the major DIY retailers having been designated as “essential services”, the state of play
in US home improvement channel is almost business as usual.
However, with many other US retailers shuttered, it apparently wasn’t a given that the major DIY retailers would remain open.
Indeed, in a recent interview with True Value CEO, John Hartmann, Forbes talks about the National Retail Hardware Association, True Value and its independent peers having to “ ght for the right to stay open” while most states
required non-essential stores to close. “We found ourselves in a really scary
position during the earliest lockdowns where it looked like states would deem hardware stores as non-essential retail businesses,” he says in the interview.
Presumably the other big barns managed to stand up for themselves...
e Home Depot cans promos – With stores remaining open at this stage, the Big Orange’s response to the pandemic so far has been not just to freeze
pricing nationwide across high-demand product categories, close at 18.00 to help restocking, step up cleaning regimes and limit customer numbers in-store.
e Home Depot has also issued thermometers to store and DC associates so they can perform health self-checking before reporting to work, expanded its hourly associates’ paid time-o policies, and implemented a temporary bonus program for all hourly associates working in stores and DCs.
On top of which, it has cancelled the major spring promotions that draw foot tra c to its stores.
Lowe’s gives thanks – As well as introducing similar measures to the competition, Lowe’s meanwhile has temporarily increased wages by US$2 an hour for all associates.
And, to help social distancing, in addition to nominating dedicated “social distancing ambassadors” for each store, Lowe’s has developed an app to implement the new customer limit protocol. Available on associates’ handheld devices, store managers can now monitor foot tra c and limit the numbers entering stores accordingly based on CDC and local guidelines.
For the same reason, products have also been removed from main aisles to create more space, racking and tables in other aisles also taken out and areas for click & collect and returns also expanded.
Plus, beginning April 6, Lowe’s is asking customer to join with it in proudly displaying thank you messages to America’s “frontline heroes” (emergency workers etc) in and around their homes, as well as sharing their DIY thank you message on social media using the hashtag #Build anks.
36 NZHJ | APRIL 2020
MORE AT www.hardwarejournal.co.nz