After a forced break of six weeks, businesses will be able to resume their activities on Monday.
In the red zone, it is businesses in the field of aesthetics, for example, which can resume their activities. Shopping centers are also once again accessible to customers. Reopenings that were expected, but which nevertheless require some planning.
This is particularly the case of Medicart aesthetic clinics where the reopening has required management of this chain, which has 35 clinics across Quebec and Ontario.
“It’s more than 6,100 appointments that we had to put back in the diaries. The agendas are going to be really extended. We will be opening beaches earlier in the morning. Especially since, there, it is necessary to close at 7:30 pm because of the curfew, ”explains President Julie Bédard.
As has been the case in recent weeks, ridership was still reduced today at Place Fleur de Lys.
But signs point to the imminent resumption of activities in several businesses, including the Sunrise boutique, which specializes in the sale of records and themed items.
“We had nothing done! We were ready for Boxing Day, the 26th, which did not take place. We had to undo all Boxing Day, all Christmas. After that, we had to redo the housework. Everything that has accumulated over a month, the problems, the emails… ”, indicates Guillaume Labrie, manager of the branch.
Not very far from there, the owner of a sushi counter had resigned himself to also closing in December, due to lack of traffic in the shopping center. He crosses his fingers that the customers are back, even if they will not be able to eat there.
“I am confident, I have confidence. From what I have been told, according to the statistics, it looks like the world, they are hungry. Ha! Ha! They can’t wait to get out! ” says Vuth Pin, owner of Mysa Sushi.
His neighbor, who specializes in the sale of sewing machines and vacuum cleaners, does not want too many ideas.
“People have gotten used to buying online. So, at the beginning, I didn’t expect it to be an incredible traffic, ”notes Gilles Riverin, owner of the Sewing Center and vacuum cleaner.
For the management of shopping centers, the management of traffic and loitering will be one of the priorities.
“It is certain that the gatherings, we got the message: we will be very, very careful to avoid this loitering in our shopping centers. We have computer tools. So, on our cell phones, we can know in real time how many people are in our properties, ”says Donald Larose, General Manager of Laurier Québec and Place Sainte-Foy.
The next few weeks will tell us if all goes well.