Shoppers pleased New Brunswick malls reopening, but disappointed several stores still closed

As New Brunswick continues into its COVID-19 recovery plan, shopping malls are beginning to reopen for the first time in nearly two months.

While the green light was given by the provincial government for retailers to open last Friday, several stores in Dieppe’s CF Champlain mall remain shuttered Wednesday. Shopping also requires more patience, with at least some stores restricting capacity to a certain number of people.

The provincial state of emergency was declared March 19, so it was enjoyable for some shoppers just to get out again.

“It felt good just to see things that weren’t inside the house,” says shopper Dillon Ward.

“I went to see if I could purchase some shoes; everything’s been closed for so long.”

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But many stores inside remain closed — some, perhaps, for good.

“The store that I wanted has now actually shut down,” says Ryan MacIntosh, who visited Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, “Half the stores weren’t open,” says Helen Amos, who travelled from Sackville. “Three places that I wanted to go weren’t there.”

The Retail Council of Canada says patience is needed from shoppers as businesses adapt to the new reality and implement operational plans.

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“From one retailer to the next, it’s not a one-size-fits-all type of reopening scenario,” says Jim Cormier, the director for the Atlantic region.

“Some of them will need to adjust their floor space — maybe move things around — to ensure that they can do proper physical distancing within the store.”

Cormier says it’s not clear how many businesses have permanently closed. But many are facing looming rent and E.I. deferrals, and less business traffic, he says.

That’s why it’s important to continue supporting retailers, Cormier says.

Signage marking that you walk on the right side, maintain six feet distance from each other, store customer capacities, and hand sanitizing stations are some of the things you can expect when you walk inside.

“It seems like it was OK,” MacIntosh says. “They have arrows on the floor for social distancing and they have sanitizer at the entry, which is a key factor.”

“I was very satisfied,” says Amos. “The hand sanitizer was there.”

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

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