(Note: This story appears in the June issue of STOREROTICA Magazine)
Store owners and operators discuss their COVID experiences and how they’re changing the way their store operates in this “new normal.”
“We here at XXX TOY SPOT are a brick and mortar location as well as an e-comm store. We are located in Glendale, Arizona and have remained open throughout this pandemic. Every guest coming through the door must sanitize their hands with gel, we also have rubber gloves available and masks for those who request! We limit the number of customers in the store at one time to promote social distancing. Guests can not open packages and the store was sanitized throughout the day. We also offered a delivery service and curbside pickup with online orders.
“Since many local providers and urgent cares utilize us as a resource for daily problems such as vaginal dryness and enlarged or hard prostates, we are an essential medical business. Our guests were very accepting of our healthy measures in place. Our employees were also provided Lysol wipes, masks, gloves, and separate bottles of sanitizing gel. Our guests thanked us for being open and having such stringent health measures in place. We appreciate all our guests and staff for hanging in there and making this business what it is today!” — Kevin Donovan, XXX Toy Spot
“We fully closed our showroom store and focused only on our e-commerce channel, packaging all products very carefully and safely. We also changed our WhatsApp client service from only business hours to 24/7 and really worked to keep sales running and get closer to our clients.” — Alejandro Mery Lenienweber, TiendaErotica, Santiago, Chile
At Hidden Pleasures Boutique, we closed for one day until we found a loophole to do curbside pickups. We are now open for in-person shopping and a mask is required. We sanitize the store nightly and wipe door handles, counter tops and debit/credit machine after each customer. — Veronica Martinez Aguirre, Hidden Pleasures Boutique
“Our cleaning procedures not only meet, but exceed the CDC guidelines for clean spaces! As part of our cleaning procedures, we have set up a personal sanitation station just inside our front door, and we ask that our customers use it when they first arrive in our retail space. Our staff will be wearing masks while serving you. We ask that all customers bring masks, and wear them while in our store. If you do not have a mask, we will try to provide you with one. You may also choose to purchase a cloth mask at cost from us. If you have health reasons why you can’t wear a mask, we understand, you can call or text us so we can help you work our curbside shopping experience.
“If you plan to try on lingerie, gender-affirming products, or other clothing, please shower before coming to shop. Any clothing item that is tried on and not purchased will be pulled from the sales floor for several days to prevent spread of germs.
“For the safety of all, the number of shoppers allowed in our store at a time will be limited to six. If you arrive to find our space already at capacity, we ask that you wait your turn to shop. Chairs will be provided at a safe distance from the front door if you must wait. If we get busy and a long line starts to form outside we might ask you to keep your shopping with us to 30 minutes or less. We will continue to offer private shopping hours, especially for the elderly, vulnerable populations, and essential workers who cannot make it to our regular hours. Private shopping times are available from 6PM – 7PM. You can book private shopping time using the ‘Book Now’ button on our Facebook page, or by calling or texting us at (541) 201-2060. We are now closed on Tuesdays.
“We will continue to offer free curbside pickup, and free shipping on all orders over $50 when you use the code “social distancing” at checkout.” — Kim Marks, As You Like It
“At Deja Vu Love Boutique in Las Vegas, we are currently providing all staff with masks and gloves as well as taking temperatures upon arrival with a touch-less thermometer. We have stations at every entry and throughout the store with hand sanitizer, tissues and trashcans for our guests. We are currently not allowing guests to try on shoes and lingerie and also do not have a solution yet for how to safely test liquids but we are working on it. We are still going above and beyond for each guests to ensure their safety and comfort and are making daily adjustments to continue to increase safety procedures.” — Megan Swartz, Deja Vu Love Boutique
You must be logged in to post a comment.