With the move to Level 3 of lockdown, the majority of stores at Lifestyle Centre will be back in operation from 1 June 2020. Notably

1. Liquor can be sold on the following days and times: Mon – Thurs, 9am – 5pm

This means that TOPS and The Other Room at Alchemy will reopen, as well as the wine departments in Lifestyle SUPERSPAR and Woolworths. Lifestyle Centre Management anticipates high demand for liquor and wine on Monday, 1 June, in particular and for the remainder of the week. “To ensure a smooth customer experience at TOPS, a section of the carpark will be cordoned off on Sunday night to erect speed fencing to facilitate a queuing system that will comply with social distancing,” said Lifestyle Centre and TOPS at Lifestyle owner, Bruce Rencken. “Additional security will also be present from 1 – 3 June. Queuing for Capitec and Woolworths Food has also been considered in light of this and will be appropriately managed.

2. All restaurants and eateries will now be able to operate as takeaways, with the result that Kauai, Wimpy, Nandos and the outlets in The Market will be trading on this basis. In Eat Street, takeaways will be available from 45 on Eat Street, Peron Peron, Lupa, Attikos and Beira Alta

3. Weylandts will reopen, completing the resumption of trade and foot traffic throughout the entire Centre. Lifestyle Centre Management has put comprehensive Health and Safety Protocol and Procedures in place which all tenants are required to comply with.

From a Centre Management perspective, the following procedures are in place to mitigate risk:

1. All Centre staff, including all security, cleaners, maintenance and landscaping employees

• are screened daily via a temperature check to ensure that they are in good health
• have been issued with masks to be used at all times
• have been educated on social distancing requirements

2. In addition to continuous cleaning and sanitising of all surface areas and touchpoints around the centre by contracted cleaning staff, deep-cleaning and sanitising of The Market, ablutions, post boxes and all public spaces is undertaken by a specialised company, X-Treme Cleaning, on a weekly basis.

3. Security guards and cleaners are all armed with spray bottles of hand sanitizer

4. Hand sanitisers, which were erected around the centre at the very first signs of the pandemic, are refilled on a continuous basis, and signage is clearly visible to customers.

5. Within the Centre, masks are required to be worn by all staff and customers at all times and use of the lifts is restricted to 2 people at any one time. Social distancing decals are being used inside and outside stores, as needed. Signage is in place in this regard.

6. Air conditioner filter sanitizing is undertaken on a monthly basis throughout the entire Centre air conditioning system, including all stores and the air conditioning plant.

7. Strict protocol and signage are in place at The Market, including a daily temperature check for all staff of The Market traders and a weekly deep-clean and sanitization of front-of-house and backup areas in The Market.

8. Continuous communication and education is taking place regarding the importance of preventative measures.

Rencken said, “Centre Management and all our tenants collectively have a massive responsibility to staff members and customers alike to ensure that our environment is as safe as possible, so it is expected that all tenants rigorously follow the Lifestyle Centre COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocol. Lifestyle SUPERSPAR, as the anchor tenant, has flown the flag high in this regard throughout the lockdown and can be looked to as an example. We look forward to returning to some degree of normality and will continue to ensure that Lifestyle Centre is the place where people can shop and connect safely and happily.”

While most tenants will trade Mon – Sat 9am – 5pm and Sunday 9am – 4pm, anchor tenant Lifestyle SUPERSPAR will remain open 7am – 6pm daily. Up-to-date information on all store trading hours can be found at www.ballitolifestylecentre.co.za/open.