The Star: September 02, 2021

alert level 3
BACK IN BUSINESS: Park Ranger co-owner Virosha
Chheang is pleased with the public turnout at the
Riccarton cafe while operating under alert level 3
restrictions.
PHOTOS: GEOFF SLOAN
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
• By Susan Sandys
STAFF AT Smiths City emerged
yesterday from the isolation of
lockdown to go back to what
they love doing most – serving
customers.
Eagerly anticipating the introduction
of level 3 since Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed
the level shift on Monday,
management and team members
returned in limited numbers to
Smiths City’s 24 stores across
the country, including three in
Christchurch, in order to meet demand
for click and collect orders.
Managing director Tony
Allison said level 3 enabled
the business to do two things
it could not do in level 4. They
were selling non-essential items
and providing a contactless pickup
service.
In level 4, the business had
only been able to sell half of its
range, with the items of lounge,
dining and most bedroom
furniture deemed non-essential.
In addition, all orders had to be
delivered.
As such, lockdown had seen
business drop dramatically for
the 100 per cent New Zealandowned
company, which employs
370 staff nationwide.
On the bright side, the company’s
online store had been
busier than usual, as customers
forced to shop online supported
the store.
Allison said he expected this
week the company would see at
least a small boost from the level
of sales throughout lockdown,
as this had happened last year
when the country moved out of
level 4.
The main thing the company
had been looking forward to,
was some of its sales staff being
able to get back to serving customers
on site.
“They like talking to people,
that’s why they are doing the job
they do,” Allison said.
That talking of course would
be on phones or at a distance,
through masks, as they met the
rules around contactless pickup.
In addition, staffing would be at
Thursday September 2 2021 The Star 5
NEWS 5
Smiths City ready for customers
CONTACTLESS: Smiths City store manager Imran
Chowdhury is ready to serve click and collect customers.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
minimum levels.
Yesterday those staff had been
busy with a “steady” level of click
and collect orders and delivery
of back orders.
He hoped level 3 would be
for just one week, and that
customers would continue
to support local retailers, as
they did after last year’s
lockdown.
“I felt last time through
Covid there was a strong
feeling towards supporting
New Zealand companies. I
felt like that was an
overwhelming response last
time we had lockdown, and
hopefully it happens again,” he
said.
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