Pandora, best known for its charm bracelets, is reopening half of its 375 stores in North America, US media reported. The idea, it seems, is to prepare to for the Holiday Season by putting in place all precautions required and necessary in these times of Covid-19.

One innovative method the jewellery store chain is employing is adopted from the fine dining industry – the Waitlist Me app. Using this, Pandora can let customers know when they can enter the store safely. “The idea is to avoid making customers stand in line at the entrance, which is neither safe nor fun,” one media report said. When it is time, the next customer virtually “in line”, will be informed by a text message that it is safe to enter a store. On their part, customers themselves can inform sales personnel what they are on the look out for, so a range of jewellery can be kept ready for their viewing. “Pandora also is limiting the number of store customers to five at one time — even though sales staff can only serve three customers at a time,” the report said.

“We are learning what to do if we had to manage crowds three to four times the size we are getting now,” Pandora Jewelry President Sid Keswani, who heads up the North America region is quoted as saying. He is reported to have also noted that Pandora’s reopened stores in outdoor shopping centres have attracted more customers than those in indoor malls.

Also, now, Pandora has moved all of its jewellery, including the less expensive range, under glass counters. Hence, it is necessary for shoppers who are interested in trying on a piece of jewellery to seek the aid of a sales associate. This is because one of the precautions the jewellery retailer has imposed on itself is that any piece that is touched is “to be immediately cleaned in full view before it’s returned behind glass”, it is reported.

Apart from this, the by-now “normal” precautions will also be implemented: sales associates will wear face masks or visors; and social-distancing markers on the floor indicate where a customer can stand so as to be at a safe distance from other shoppers; and of course, shoppers are required to wear a face mask, as well.