Masks, gloves, and arrows on the floor: the new normal as hardware stores reopen

OTTAWA -- The Ontario government has given hardware stores leave to reopen, as of Saturday, but the experience for shoppers will not be what it used to be.

At Preston Hardware in Ottawa, customers are asked to sanitize their hands as soon as they enter the store and follow arrows on the ground, to control the flow of customers down each aisle.

All of the employees are wearing face masks and gloves and there are plexiglass shields between cashiers and customers. The debit/credit machines and counters are wiped down after each use.

In a sign that customers are eager to return, there was a lineup outside the store on Preston Street Saturday morning.

We are open again to the general public. We have taken additional measures to ensure the safety and well being of our employees and customers. You can also continue ordering by phone or email. We look forward to welcoming you back to our store. pic.twitter.com/p1PjuHZAP2

— Preston Hardware (@prestonhardware) May 9, 2020

At the Home Hardware on Second Avenue in the Glebe, customers also lined up down the street, eager to visit on the first day of public business inside. 

Michael Cooper waited outside a local Canadian Tire for fifteen minutes but tells CTV News he felt safe inside the store.

"I felt safe today," he said. "I wore gloves and I have my mask. I put it on when I went inside. The spacing was well done."

But not every store that has been given leave to reopen is throwing wide the gates. 

Robert Plante Greenhouse in Navan could have reopened Friday, but they say it's still too early.

"Our top priority is our customers and we feel it is still too early to open so we are going to be doing curb side pick up only," said Colin Matassa, who identified narrow aisles as a reason to keep the store closed to visitors.

"Just the way our greenhouses are set up, it would be hard to manage," he said. "People like to linger in greenhouses and spend an hour and browse. It just wouldn't be possible right now."

For those who have reopened their doors, the change brings a flicker of hope, but they worry about the measures being taken today becoming the new normal tomorrow.

"It's a tough way to do business," said Preston Hardware's Paolo Giannetti. "Is it sustainable forever? I see this as the new normal for the immediate future. It's going to be hard for retailers to operate like this; however, this is the safest way to do business today."

With reporting from CTV News Ottawa's Leah Larcoque. 

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  Customers visiting Preston Hardware in Ottawa are now asked to sanitize their hands when entering the store.

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  Plexiglass shields have been installed between employees and customers at Preston Hardware in Ottawa, which has officially reopened to the public.

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  Customers line up to visit the Home Hardware store on Second Avenue as it reopens to the public for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, May 9, 2020.