Shoppers slowly returning to Regina malls

After two months of empty stores and closed doors, Regina’s malls are open again, but it appears customers aren’t rushing to make up for lost shopping time.

COVID-19 signage and restrictions at Victoria Square Mall. May 27, 2020 (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Malls were included in the second phase of the provincial government’s reopening plan and have been open for a week and a half.

Mitchell Cohen, chief operating officer of Westdale Properties which owns Northgate Mall, said shoppers have been coming back.

“It’s not Christmastime, it’s not Thanksgiving, it’s not Mother’s Day, but we’ve had people who want to come back to Northgate Mall and want to enjoy the shopping experience and get some shopping done in a very safe environment,” said Cohen.

On Wednesday afternoon, only a couple dozen shoppers were at any of the malls in the city. About half of the shoppers were wearing masks.

Signs warning shoppers not to come in if they’re sick and reminding them to physically distance are on the doors to the malls. Distancing reminders are posted throughout and, in some cases, stuck to the floor with stickers.

COVID-19 signage on the floor at the Cornwall Centre. May 27, 2020 (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

The Cornwall Centre even has arrows on the floor, directing shoppers which way to walk through the corridors.

At the Northgate, Cohen said mall operators have also restricted the access points into the building, controlled the number of people inside, set up sanitation stations throughout and ensured washrooms are cleaned.

Cohen said the company has welcomed the stores back into operation with open arms, and though the stores are responsible for their own COVID-19 response, the management company is helping with information. However, not all the stores are currently open.

“Some retailers have taken a little bit of pause, taken some time, to ensure their shoppers are adequately protected, but slowly but surely everyone’s getting back into the groove and opening up again,” said Cohen.

Through the city’s indoor malls, about a third of the stores remain closed, some with printed signs on the doors explaining the decision was made in the best interests of customers and staff.

Candy machines and benches are listed as out of order at the Northgate Mall because of COVID-19. May 27, 2020 (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

The stores that are open have signs at the entrance asking people to handle merchandise as little as possible, showing the maximum capacity of the stores, and in some cases directing traffic in the stores.

Their doors are only partially open, allowing for a thinner flow of traffic inside. Some stores even have a table with hand sanitizer sitting at the entrance.

Some stores, like Fabricland in the Northgate Mall, have set up a physically distanced switchback system for customers to line up in and an employee at the entrance to ensure customers are wearing masks.

Some stores closed at the start of the pandemic but won’t be reopening at all, like the Rider Store in the Northgate. Saskatchewan Roughriders president-CEO Craig Reynolds made the announcement last week.

Signage reminding people of COVID-19 etiquette at Victoria Square Mall. May 27, 2020 (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Cohen didn’t seem concerned, saying that retail has been changing since the first general store.

“If we make sure that we follow social distancing, wash our hands, be hygienic (and) respect everybody, Northgate Mall is going to flourish and come back to the shopping experience it always has been,” said Cohen.

He said the Rider Store may be leaving but there’s a Sobey’s liquor store soon to open in the parking lot and he said two more tenants are coming.