Simons Is Reopening Its Montreal-Area Stores With New Procedures You'll Have To Follow

After announcing the temporary closure of its stores in March, Simons is getting ready to reopen the remainder of its locations. The popular department store has outlined specific procedures customers will have to follow once it opens its doors in the Montreal area on May 25. The Simons stores in Gatineau, Quebec City, and Sherbrooke opened on May 19.

First, only a limited number of customers will be allowed in a store at a time. This number will vary according to the capacity of each location.

Inside, patrons must maintain a distance of two meters from other individuals.

"In certain places," Simons writes on its online blog, "posters and signage on the floor have been installed to direct traffic and remind everyone of social distancing guidelines and the sanitary measure taken."

Customers will also find "well-defined waiting areas" as well as "disinfecting stations" throughout the store.

Fitting rooms will remain open but will accommodate a fixed number of customers at a time. Employees will disinfect fitting rooms after every use and steam used clothes before returning them to the floor.

Customers are also asked to "limit [their] touching and handling of the clothing as much as possible while shopping throughout the store."

At checkout, "the use of cash has been suspended until further notice."

"Contactless payment is authorized" for purchases of "up to $250 for credit cards and $100 for Interac."

Finally, customers will be required to wash their hands both as they enter and as they exit the store.

Across the province, store hours have been reduced. The two Montreal locations (on rue Sainte-Catherine and in the Galeries d'Anjou) will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. 

They will be closed Sundays.

The reopening of retail in the Montreal metropolitan community (CMM) on May 25 represents the first major step in its gradual reopening.

The go-ahead from Legault on Monday — after the government twice postponed the date citing a "worrisome" situation — also indicates that he and public health authorities are now satisfied with the progression of the outbreak in the city.

Though he has been careful to temper any premature enthusiasm.

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Stay tuned for more news.

This article was originally published in French on Narcity Québec.