Grocery stores during the COVID 19 pandemic
Applying Behavioural Science to Improve Safety While Shopping During COVID-19: Understand Phase Fieldwork with Frontline Grocery Workers
Impact Canada, Impact & Innovation Unit, Privy Council Office
Summary
Understand Phase activities took place in six different stores and employed a variety of methods, including:
- In-store observations to identify and describe the context of each grocery store, how employees and shoppers are behaving and interacting, the barriers to more effective health and safety practices, and opportunities to intervene.
- Shopper shadowing to document the shopping journeys of customers at a safe distance without influencing their choices or actions (e.g., how long they spend in different sections and when and where they do not comply with key behaviours).
- Shopper surveys to understand how shoppers are feeling about their health and safety during their in-store experience and how they feel about the behaviours of other shoppers.
- Employee interviewsto understand and describe the employee’s experience of being a frontline worker during the pandemic.
Key Insights
Overall, most shoppers were taking COVID-19 guidelines seriously, reported feeling safe while shopping, and perceived that stores were prioritizing their health and safety. The most prevalent challenges experienced by shoppers were physical distancing, following signage, and touching products they did not buy. Among other things, employees indicated they were looking for more kindness and compassion from all shoppers. Interventions are now in design with stakeholders for pilot testing in a series of stores to help increase shopper distancing and adherence to signage, and support employee well-being at work.