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Saks Fifth Avenue just reopened the doors to its New York City flagship, but we saw few shoppers despite enhanced safety precautions, including ultraviolet light handrail sanitizinghttps://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/saks-fifth-avenue-just-reopened-the-doors-to-its-new-york-city-flagship-but-we-saw-few-shoppers-despite-enhanced-safety-precautions-including-ultraviolet-light-handrail-sanitizing/slidelist/76628946.cms2020-06-25T20:46:33+05:30

Saks Fifth Avenue just reopened the doors to its New York City flagship, but we saw few shoppers despite enhanced safety precautions, including ultraviolet light handrail sanitizing

Bethany BironJun 25, 2020, 20:46 IST

As I approached an eerily empty Fifth Avenue, I immediately saw the Saks windows jubilantly welcoming shoppers back.

The store is currently operating on reduced hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

"The reopening of our New York flagship store is a pivotal milestone for Saks Fifth Avenue and another opportunity for us to set the standard for delivering a safe, easy and personalized shopping experience," Saks Fifth Avenue president Marc Metrick said in a press statement.

When I walked in the store shortly after 11 a.m., I immediately saw a large sign detailing the updated safety protocols for shopping, which have been erected at each of the store's main entrances.

The first thing I noticed were the myriad Purell hand sanitizer stations around the store, providing a somewhat bizarre visual contrast among the high fashion looks.

Another Purell station I spotted in the handbag department.

It didn't stop there. In addition to the Purell stations, I found several types of sanitizers scattered on shelves and counters across the store for both employee and customer use.

There was tons of signage throughout the store welcoming shoppers back to the store, and joyful employees greeting me everywhere I turned.

Another welcoming sign in the men's department.

In anticipation of an onslaught of returns made from online purchases made during quarantine, Saks has implemented a centralized desk on the main floor for processing returns.

To maintain proper social distancing, Saks Fifth Avenue has restricted use of its elevators to seniors, pregnant women, and individuals with health complications or limited mobility.

In lieu of elevators, Saks is directing shoppers to use its 22 escalators to navigate its ten levels.

After getting the new lay of the land, I decided to make my way up the escalator to the beauty department on the second floor.

For added sanitary precautions, Saks Fifth Avenue installed an ultraviolet light handrail cleaning system designed to kill germs and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Stickers along the incline mark proper social distancing and provide shoppers with a visual cue for when to step on the escalator.

Signs told me to "hold on with confidence," but frankly I was still too scared to touch anything.

On the second floor I was greeted with signs reminding me to socially distance myself from other shoppers.

The first thing I noticed was that the beauty department no longer offers testing and sampling. Instead, customers can ask a sales associate to work one-on-one with a product of interest.

I also noticed that in-store beauty services, such as eyebrow waxing and facials, are still suspended ...

... as were specialty third-party services like Face Gym.

Ah, sweet relief, another hand sanitizer station right when I was feeling anxious.

There were several signs like this scattered across the store to remind shoppers to social distance.

As I kept wandering the store, I noticed that it was pretty dead.

As it approached noon, several of the other floors were still nearly empty, like the shoe department ....

... and contemporary women's wear ...

... and jewelry. I spotted a lot of bored employees on their phones in these areas.

Still, I was able to find the odd shopper.

One such shopper was Aiste Vaiciunaite, who had been counting down the days until the store's reopening to find a pair of shoes and a bag for her upcoming wedding.

Angela Hwang, a fashion professional visiting the store on Wednesday, said that while she was glad to be back, much of the product seemed the same as the last time she came in March.

Hwang anticipated that the Saks is trying to get rid of excess inventory from spring, hence the lofty sales throughout the store.

We spotted several sale signs with discounts as high as 70%, like this one on the lower level ...

... and this one on the women's designer floor.

Most employees, including Natalie Bunimobice, seemed happy to be back at work. She was briefly furloughed when the store closed in March, but was able to return remotely before some other associates to help with online styling.

Garcia, the employee in the watch department, said he didn't anticipate an immediate rush of shoppers but rather a steadily rising number as people get more comfortable engaging in normal activities.

After about an hour, I made my way back toward the entrance, but noticed that I felt significantly more at ease than when I first came in.

Ultimately, shopping during a pandemic felt both bizarre and completely normal. Still, not sure I plan to go back anytime soon.

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