CINCINNATI, Ohio —The next time you head to your local Kroger — you might notice a few changes — like “Xs" on the ground outside the store. That’s because Kroger is limiting its occupancy by 50 percent — to protect its customers and its staff.
For example the Kroger Marketplace in Newport, Kentucky is cutting its occupancy down to 901.
- Kroger is limiting store occupancy to 50 percent of normal limits
- They've installed plexiglass barriers at checkout lanes, customer service and Starbucks locations
- The store will now deliver prescriptions directly to customers’ homes, with a free delivery option
Kroger Corporate Affairs Manager Erin Rolfes said the store will be monitored through QueVision, which initially was set up to monitor traffic at checkout lanes.
“We were able to make some small changes and now it monitors how many people are in the whole store,” Rolfes said. “And will kind of give us a green, yellow, red, to let us know when we will have to start queuing people outside.”
If there are too many people inside the store, incoming customers will have to wait outside on one of the taped Xs.
In addition to the limit on occupancy, Kroger has added plexiglass protection barriers to checkouts and customer service locations.
“We expect this to be rolling out in different states,” she said. “Our division here in Cincinnati covers Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. So every single one of our stores in the division is going to that starting today.”
The increased safety measures are aimed at protecting everyone in the store. There have been four Cincinnati-area Kroger associates who have tested positive for coronavirus.
Rolfes said Kroger is following all CDC recommendations for cleaning and sanitizing their stores, and are wiping down all grocery carts and baskets between customers.
“Every time we get a positive test we will completely deep clean the store following CDC, local and state guidelines to make sure it’s a safe place,” she said. “We clean the stores every day on a very rigorous schedule. We do our best to keep our associates safe both in and out of the store.”
Some associates are wearing masks and gloves already, but Rolfes said they are hoping to be able to provide personal protective equipment for all employees in the near future.
“We have been asking our local legislators or state legislators that right after our healthcare workers are fully taken care of, that they consider grocery workers as that next group to get access to those masks,” Rolfes said.
As new option for customers, Kroger will now deliver prescriptions directly to your home.
“We’re now offering free delivery of pharmacy items, so your prescriptions, if you need it today, it will be an eight dollar charge. But if you can wait until tomorrow or the next day we will deliver straight to your home through FedEx,” she said.
She said all these changes are meant to keep everyone who comes to Kroger safe.
“We know that grocery shopping is an essential service. We appreciate Governor’s Dewine and Beshear being clear that the grocery stores will stay open,” Rolfes said. “We just want to make sure everyone is safe when they’re here.”
Click here to view the news release from Kroger.