Business owners predict consumers will be cautious when retailers open on Wednesday

Friday, 5 November 2021

Devonport Chocolates marketing and retail director Caroline Everitt say she has no idea if customers will return when restriction ease on Wednesday.

As restrictions continue to ease in Auckland, business owners expect customers will be cautious about returning to in-store shopping after nearly 100 days locked down.

But it will be a matter of watching and waiting to see if social anxiety becomes more prevalent after 10 weeks of limited contact with people, clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire says.

Adam Thompson, owner of vintage clothing store Magichollow, says despite business booming after each lockdown, customers were still hesitant when returning to shopping at his Auckland store.

“People were a tad on the shy side, I think not talking to as many people can make customers feel a bit anxious or nervous to make conversation,” he says.

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Adam Thompson, owner of vintage store Magichollow, says customers were a little hesitant returning to shopping after previous lockdowns.

“I remember my staff members feeling a little awkward at first about their customer service skills and being able to strike up and keep up a conversation due to so long without.”

But the in-store shopping experience was something customers loved, and so he expects people to return when they open their doors for the first time next week, when the region moves to step 2 of alert level 3 on Wednesday.

Maguire says it is totally normal for many Aucklanders to be feeling anxious as they began to transition out of lockdown.

“Lots of people will feel worried about Covid and public situations,” she says.

Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire says it's normal for people to be feeling anxious as restrictions ease.

But they can only watch and wait to see whether it will be more prominent, following the longest lockdown the country has seen since the pandemic began, she says.

“During lockdown, people with social anxiety tend to decrease in anxiety because they’re not forced or don’t have to face their fears in regard to interacting with others.

“The question then is, do you get a rebound effect afterwards? We’ll have to wait and see.”

For anyone feeling nervous about getting back into stores and somewhat normal life, it is all about taking things in small steps, Maguire says.

The first step is to learn what social anxiety is and then what situations cause the anxiety to become heightened, and pairing that with calming mechanisms, such as muscle relaxation, breathing and grounding techniques.

Then gradually exposing yourself to the anxiety-inducing situations and reflecting on how it made you feel.

A support person, whether that's a friend, flatmate or family member, is also helpful, she says.

Devonport Chocolates marketing and retail director Caroline Everitt says after the first alert level 4 lockdown last year, , its shops in the Auckland suburb and city centre, bounced back relatively quickly.

Click and collect is a good way to slowly return to retail shopping, to avoid being overwhelmed in store.

But as restrictions begin to ease and retailers prepare to open their doors on Wednesday, Everitt has no idea if customers will return.

“I do think the public is going to be pretty cautious this time around.”

She has noticed people who are hesitant about returning to in-store shopping usually continue to buy online.

The Devonport store will be limited to two customers at a time, which will hopefully ease some anxiety for shoppers, she says.

Her advice to people feeling anxious or uneasy about returning to shops with others is to opt for click and collect.

Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck says: “The retailers will be very keen to create a safe and welcoming environment. They're really looking forward to having customers back in the flesh.”

Everitt admits she is being cautious too.

The chocolates are made in the Queens Arcade store. But the store will remain closed for now, because if there is a case of Covid-19 among staff or customers, the business will have to close for two weeks, she says.

“That’s what's keeping me up at night. It will be highly, highly detrimental.”

But Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck hopes strong vaccination rates in the region will help give comfort to people returning to shopping.

“Naturally there are people who are a bit more cautious.

“But we’ve got vaccinations and the vaccination rates are pretty strong here, and they’re growing. So I think that certainly helps and gives comfort,” Beck says.

When the country first moved to alert level 1 in June last year, people were slow to return to the city centre, and retail spending was down 40 per cent, she says.

“Every time we drop down a level, the sales do go up and people do come back.

“But what we've got here is unique now because we've had so long in level 4 and 3.”

Going to an open air mall such as Commercial Bay, could be less stressful for shoppers. Click and collect is another way to help businesses while shoppers slowly work their way back into physical stores, she says.

“We’ve had 20 months of this now.

“The retailers will be very keen to create a safe and welcoming environment. They're really looking forward to having customers back in the flesh.”