FloorQuest’s Commitment to Consumer Safety
At FloorQuest, we will always take precautions to prioritize our customer’s safety. We have taken the Covid-19 matter very seriously and are always communicating with our customers on the procedures we employ to ensure their safety in this unprecedented time.
Wisconsin’s “New Normal”
Under current state guidelines, Wisconsin retailers that were considered “non-essential” are allowed to be open, with up to five customers in their location at the time, while maintaining social distancing practices. Many stores offer patrons hand sanitizer for their visits. State guidelines recommend that employees wear masks and that signage explains the store’s safety practices to customers.
This isn’t just statewide. With a large majority of states reopening, these or similar measures are at work. Some cities have opened up businesses to 10 or more customers at once. While we think these measures are short term until we’re out of this crisis, we expect many businesses will continue to encourage masks, using hand sanitizer and gloves, and limiting the number of customers concurrently in the store, for the foreseeable future.
FloorQuest’s New Normal, Now
In accordance with the CDC guidelines, state and local authorities, FloorQuest is maintaining its cleanliness policies. Our staff continues to use hand sanitizer regularly, and use wipes, masks, and disposable gloves in store and at customer’s homes. We are also practicing social distancing when and wherever possible.
Redefining Consumer Interactions
Across the country, retailers in every industry have been forced to think outside of the box. As many restaurants could not host guests, some took to packaging ingredients used for popular dishes and adapting them into meal kits for curbside pick-up. Bars and distilleries followed suit, creating cocktail kits to-go and, in some cases, adapting their distilleries for hand-sanitizer production. In a pandemic, these have proven to be valuable sources of revenue that can easily become mainstays.
E-commerce has continued its growth, with online ordering quadrupling across the country between March 1 and March 22, but that was just the start. In early April, the e-grocery app, InstaCart, saw $700 Million in sales, up 450% since December. According to MultiChannel Merchant, industries like toys and games, arts and entertainment, sporting goods, and pet supplies saw online orders increases ranging from 53 to 220%.
It’s fair to say that online ordering is here to stay. Amazon’s net online sales for Q1 are up 24% from last year’s first quarter, and The Motley Fool predicts that the online retail giant can surge to 40% in the coming months. The long we continue to say home, the more likely these online shopping habits will become routine.
FloorQuest’s Showrooms
Bringing it home to FloorQuest, our interactions with consumers have been modified through the way we connect at our locations. FloorQuest locations in Fond Du Lac and Oshkosh maintain their temporary store hours, 9 am - 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and are closed on Saturday and Sunday. Our Waukesha and Sturtevant locations are open by appointment only.
Brave New World
These measures and modifications to how retailers and consumers do business have been implemented to slow the spread of Covid-19, protecting customers and employees alike. It goes without saying that inevitably these new habits will have a lasting impact on how we define our relationships with our favorite retailers, the process of purchasing our favorite goods and services, and how we live day today.
The FloorQuest Promise
While this new normal provides some adjustment for our company and other retailers throughout every industry - our service and expertise in the industry remain constant. We look forward to continuing to safely serve our clients with the quality, service, and savings they have grown to expect.
