Let me take you to a supermarket which has social distancing

By Yusra Salim

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Karachi: Since the lock-down was announced I have been listening and reading to several stories related to supermarkets and grocery stores where there is no social distancing or no security measures taken by the authorities and what not but let me take you through a different journey altogether.

I being a house wife who fortunately or unfortunately also knows how to drive had the honor to do monthly grocery for my house before the holy month of Ramadan starts. And to do this where could I have gone none other than Imtiaz store.

I don’t have any liking for this place having some bitter memories from my days of being a reporter but this is the closest market in my vicinity and I know I will get all my household items under that roof. Clad with gloves and mask I drove to Nazimabad branch where at the entrance despite of being welcomed by a Valet service operator I was welcomed by a ranger’s official.

‘Agay barho, jaldi chalo, agay barho jaldi chalo’ was the words I could hear when I realized no valet today and I have to park myself upon asking a police constable who was on duty he said I can park the car in any of the parallel streets. Khair, after parking it in a street away from the store I walked up to entrance where I saw a Valet service provider, I told him about the car on which he asked the number color and model and demanded keys and provided me with a slip. Woohhhh (I won’t have to walk back to my car with a trolley full of grocery because now the car is in valet) Yuhoooo.

A big sanitizer walk through gate was installed at the gate but you cannot just walk-in they have marked circles on the whole street where the customers have to wait at a distance of three meters. The stores officials are not letting more than 15 customers to enter and that also with a break of 10 minutes at least so that the store inside won’t be crowded.

After waiting in the scorching sun for not more than 15 minutes I got a chance to walk through that sanitizing gate to enter the mart to be welcomed by a young worker holding hand sanitizer making sure every entered customer get sanitized. Upon inquiring one of the workers told that customers can get the shopping trolleys from the basement where they make it clean after each use.

Not all the sections were open for shopping mostly just main grocery items which include basic household things were available while I felt there was a significant distance between the sections to avoid closeness. Also all the waiting areas were closed so that no one can violate the distance measure.

Another great step that Imtiaz has taken is their new chit system; before entering the premises, customers are given chits with their entry time on it. They are allowed to shop for only 20 - 25 minutes and during the time inside the store the chits are checked regularly by the staff members. This measure makes sure that all customers get the time to shop easily.

I had to be in billing queue three times for different sections billings and each time there were stickers on the floor mentioning stand here while the workers were also telling the customers to maintain the distance where they found customers violating the distance parameter. All the workers including billing, stacking, helping, lift operators were all wearing masks and gloves.

Getting billing done I was again on the road where I had to wait for my car and when the valet brought my car and I started putting in grocery the rangers officer didn’t like it.

Rangers officer: ‘Yahan kahan saman rakh rahi hain?

Me: To aur kahan rakhu?

Rangers officer: Acha jaldi Karen.

I stacked all the stuff as soon as I can with the help of the valet and left. Some people might find flaws but I think the superstore is following what the government is screaming to the top of their lungs also many of the superstore workers were just there to guide people and help them in the uncertainty which prevails in the air.

Credit where credit’s due. Good bye and stay safe.

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Yusra Salim