Plexiglass installed at Giant Eagle stores due to coronavirus
Shoppers at Giant Eagle, Market District and GetGo gas stations and markets either are, or soon will be, greeted with an unusual sight – plexiglass barriers.
Giant Eagle Inc. announced Monday it is installing plexiglass dividers at all customer service and checkout areas at its stores and pharmacies to protect employees and customers amid the coronavirus pandemic. It is also putting signs and floor indicators in place to let customers know the distance they should maintain from one another.
The installation of the barriers and signs is expected to be completed at all locations by the end of the week.
“It just places a buffer between the cashier and the customer,” said Dick Roberts, a spokesman for Giant Eagle, which is based in Pittsburgh. “It’s an extra step of caution. It benefits both the customer and the team member.”
Roberts said deli sections of Giant Eagle outlets are open, but stations where customers can purchase hot soup are closed. As for the self-checkout stations, Roberts said, “Giant Eagle has a whole protocol in place for sanitizing them. It’s a pretty extensive list that they do on an hourly basis, or after a transaction.”
Giant Eagle has long been the preeminent grocery store chain in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with 60 locations throughout the region.
Along with the plexiglass dividers and signs, Giant Eagle is also asking customers to not use reuseable bags when purchasing groceries “out of an abundance of caution.” All purchases will be placed in single-use plastic bags or paper bags.