COVID - 19 - Operating Conditions for Supermarkets and Related Businesses

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Operating conditions of supermarkets and related businesses

The Secretary of Domestic Trade decided that since March 22, 2020, and in principle for a period of 30 days, supermarkets, self-services stores, retail business chains, wholesalers, packers of perishable products and shopping centers must comply with the following operating conditions: (1) ensure personnel available specifically assigned to control access and avoid crowds; (2) signaling waiting places, in order to distance one and a half meters between each client, both at the checkout line and at the entrance to the establishment; and (3) assemble and have banners, audios and prevention materials for clients throughout the sales floor of commercial establishments.

Only supermarkets are required to implement a customer service schedule of at least 13 hours a day based on demand flows and in order to avoid customer concentrations.

Establishments that do not comply with these conditions shall be subject to the penalties provided by the consumer defense law (fines of up to AR$5,000,000 and/or closures, mainly).

Our opinion:

This is a regulation that tends to guarantee guidelines on how to respect and comply with social distancing, ensuring an adequate provision of general consumer goods for population. Likewise, this regulation is also in line with what has been agreed between the Federation of Commerce and Services Employees (FAECYS, in its Spanish acronym) and the United Supermarkets Association (ASU, in its Spanish acronym), regarding the adaptation of the business hours, to allow the staff to attend and leave their places of work within the hours of operation of public transport.