Selfridges’ London Foodhall reopens with social distancing measures in place

Selfridges reopened its London Foodhall on 1st May with stringent social distancing measures in place to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and customers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Foodhall will provide a selection of fresh food from the greengrocer, bakery, butcher and fishmonger, as well as a range of household and pharmacy items. For the first time, the Foodhall will also offer essential food boxes, including a meat box, fish box and seasonal fruit and veg box, together with make-your-own kits, including a Bake-Your-Own Bread Kit and an At-Home Pasta Kit.

“We are pleased to be reopening the doors to our Foodhall and to begin serving our local community once again,” says Michael Weber, Director of Food. “We are working hard to ensure our customers and our team members are met with a secure and welcoming environment, including a few Selfridges experiences to bring a little brightness to everyone’s day.”

Selfridges temporarily closed all of its stores in March ahead of the Government’s lockdown measures. For the time being, the Foodhall will operate with reduced opening hours, from 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday.

Staff members are taking precautions to minimise the risk of spreading the coronavirus in line with guidance from Public Health England, including being temperature scanned upon arrival at work. Till points will be shielded by protective screens, and cleaning will be increased throughout the day with deep cleans every evening.

Meanwhile, the number of customers allowed in store is being limited based on the one person per 20 square metres rule, with social distancing of two metres to be observed by customers and staff. Customers will also be asked to follow a one-way system and pay using contactless payments where possible.

Selfridges also announced that it will offer NHS, health and social care workers easy access to the Foodhall with free use of the car park, a dedicated entrance and a fast-track check out. Additionally, food leftover from the Foodhall will be donated across three charities: City Harvest, a charity that rescues surplus food from the industry and delivers it to those in need; Shoreditch-based charity The Little Things, which creates food packages for vulnerable households; and HEROES+, a newly founded NHS staff welfare and wellbeing charity, aiming to provide the public with an avenue to support NHS workers directly.