Owners launch ‘old-fashioned’ food shopping
ASHOP owner has introduced a genius scheme to promote public safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hardeep Uppal, who runs a Nisa shop in Old Kilpatrick with his dad, Paul, has introduced a new “throwback” system for customers getting their messages.
The shop has stopped customers from fully entering the shop and has reintroduced an old-school style of shopping where the customer stands in front of the counter and the shopkeeper fetches the items for them.
Hardeep has posted pictures of the shop’s stock on the outside wall, so customers can familiarise themselves with what is available.
The 31-year-old said: “The idea came from the advice from the government, people weren’t really listening to the advice and were kind of treating it like a holiday.
“So, we wanted to keep us and keep the community safe.
“It’s been working well so far, touch wood. We haven’t had any problems with any customers so far at all today,” he added.
The Uppals have installed a screen just behind the door for customers to tell their orders to the shopkeepers, who will then go and get their items for them.
Customers can pay using the card machine in front of the screen and their messages are passed to them through a hatch at the bottom of the barrier. safe
“It’s like going back to the oldschool. It’s kind of like a flashback for the older generation,” he joked.
There are problems with not being able to walk around the shop and look at items, but Hardeep thinks the photos of stock outside will help remind customers of what is available and what they need.
“We’re also putting up a daily list of all the fresh meat we get in and chilled goods and we just update that daily.”
Hardeep’s is among the businesses allowed to stay open amid a nationwide lockdown which came into force on Monday night.
The government has urged businesses across the country to shut, including building sites and hair salons, to enforce increasingly strict social distancing guidelines.
Pubs, clubs, restaurants and theatres all shut their doors on Friday on the government’s advice, with police given special new powers to close establishments not complying with the new rules.