Click & Meet: How shopping with an appointment works

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  An optician wears a mouth guard as she fits new glasses for a customer with an appointment in the shop.

• People walk through a shopping centre where the sign "Stay healthy together!" hangs.

• Wedding dresses are seen in a shop window of a bridal shop. In the foreground is a sign indicating that masks are compulsory.

From 08 March 2021, small opening steps in retail are planned in Berlin and other federal states, of course only under strict conditions. The new Click & Meet concept is supposed to make shopping possible again. How it works and what rules apply:

The new Click & Meet concept is an extension to the already well-functioning Click & Collect shopping. Until now, customers have been able to shop online at many retailers and then collect their goods themselves on site. From 8 March 2021, retail shop openings will now be permitted depending on the infection situation, with customers having to make an appointment in advance to make their purchases. This alternative to online-only shopping and self-collection takes effect from a stable 7-day incidence of less than 100 in the respective region. If the incidence rises significantly, shops have to close again. If the incidence falls below 50, there will be further relaxation. Exempt from the new regulation are garden and flower shops and bookstores. Shopping is already allowed there without an appointment. The regulations on shopping in supermarkets and other goods for daily use remain in place: Here, too, there is no appointment requirement.

Click & Meet Shopping Rules

Those who use the Click & Meet concept enjoy several advantages: On the one hand, appointment shopping offers the opportunity to try on and test clothes and other goods as usual before buying, and on the other hand, due to the low customer density, individual and detailed advice can be given by the sales staff. Of course, some important hygiene rules must be observed:

• A shopping appointment must be arranged in advance online or by phone with the respective shop. The customer is then allocated a certain time slot, which must be strictly adhered to. During this time, the customer may stay in the shop and shop as usual.
• Those who use the Click & Meet offer have to leave their contact details truthfully with the respective shop, so that the possibility of tracing any chains of infection that may arise is guaranteed. The following information must be provided: First and last name, telephone number and full address or email address.
• Only persons from one household are allowed to shop together. A safety distance of 1.5 metres from other customers and sales staff must be maintained.
• Only one customer or several customers from one household may be present in a sales area of 40 square metres.
• Wearing a medical mask is compulsory while shopping. This includes surgical masks, KN95 and FFP2 models. At least one cloth mouth-nose covering must be worn in car parks and outdoor queues.

In addition, regular hand washing and cashless payments are also strongly recommended. What may involve more effort and less turnover for traders still offers the opportunity to shop safely.