Shops re-opened in cities from today to January 2. Customers started visiting the malls in the early morning.
However, shops are only allowed to operate if they follow the already established and additional rules.
“We have decided to impose additional regulations that will greatly protect consumers during their visit to the mall. In particular, the working hours of the shops have been defined from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, and the number of consumers will be limited to 1 person per 20 sq.m. Discounts must be announced either in the morning or during online sales. Dressing rooms will not work,” announced Maia Tskitishvili, the candidate for the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure.
She added that in case of any violation, shops will be fined or their operation will be suspended.
“Until now, customers have been visiting malls more in the evening. It will be very good if they consider coming in the early hours, so as not to gather a lot of people together,” said Keta Akhobadze, Head of Communications Department of Galleria Tbilisi.
The full list of the additional regulations imposed on the operation of shops includes the following:
- Working hours of the shops have been defined from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm;
- Customers should be admitted to retailer premises under strict management of flow, whereby:
- No more than 1 customer should be admitted per 20 m2 in the retailer premises;
- Queue management should apply both in external and internal premises of retail shops;
- Discounts should be announced predominantly for shopping in morning hours and/or online sales;
- Dressing Rooms will remain closed at retail shops trading with clothes;
- At the same time and for the protection of customer rights, commodity return or exchange policy should be permitted during the month and should occur only after February 1;
- Eateries at shopping malls will be placed under a ban and neither take-away service will be permitted;
- Queues in any space and outside a retail shop should practice social distancing and the uniform wearing of face masks;
- Responsibility on the aforementioned shall rest with the administrations of retail shops;
- If and when any violation of the rules is identified, every measure promulgated in the law will apply including penalties and suspension of operation.
The government’s decision to ease the restrictions is in force to January 2.
By Ana Dumbadze
