As Texans helping Texans, H-E-B is always deeply committed to protecting the health and safety of our customers and Partners. Right now, that mission is of the utmost importance.
Coronavirus has required our communities to alter their daily lives through social distancing. No matter what our communities are faced with, H-E-B will endure. We are ready to serve those who need us. In order to accomplish that, it is our responsibility to constantly innovate and go above and beyond with how we run our operations to limit exposure and slow the spread of coronavirus.
Aside from the already extreme measures H-E-B has taken to heighten the frequency and awareness of sanitation and hygiene in our stores, we have implemented strong social distancing procedures across our business to include stores and warehousing facilities. Social distancing is an effective way to slow the spread and reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. H-E-B has eliminated physical contact touch points across the business and we are reminding Partners and customers to follow proper social distancing guidelines. To better achieve proper social distancing, we ask families send one person per family to shop when possible.
COVID Action Plan and Partners
As part of our robust coronavirus action plan, H-E-B has dedicated teams of Partners and COVID Action Managers in each store who are trained to ensure sanitation and social distancing programs are properly followed. This allows us to actively meter customers and Partners, enforcing proper social distance among individuals.
Each store will have one dedicated entrance to help monitor customer flow. Customers will notice our courteous COVID Action Partners who sanitize shopping cart handles and monitor and meter access to the store to ensure proper social distancing for a safer shopping experience.
With metering in place, customers may notice a line outside the store before entering the location. These lines move efficiently and quickly. Stores have placed floor decals on the ground to designate where people should stand while in line. As an added precaution we ask customers to be courteous and mindful of others and practice proper social distancing while in line.
The number of customers allowed in the store at a time will depend on the store size. Once inside, customers will notice a quicker, more comfortable shopping experience with less of a crowd. This also means limited lines at checkout. Our Social Distancing Partners will be situated throughout the store to ensure proper social distancing is practiced by customers and Partners during the shopping and checkout experience.
During checkout, we have social distancing floor decals on the ground, so customers know where to stand. Each checkout stand has checkstand partitions to create a buffer between the checker and customer. We also are working to install additional scratch-resistant Plexiglas partitions behind the checker and around the checkstand and bagger area to add another layer of protection for customers and Partners.
Here are a few highlights of our social distancing program and sanitation protocols:
- H-E-B has dedicated teams of Partners and COVID Action Managers in each store who are trained to ensure sanitation and social distancing procedures are properly followed.
- Floor decals are placed at checkstand lanes and store entrances to inform customers where they should stand to be able to practice proper social distancing.
- Checkstand partitions are in place as a buffer between service Partners and customers.
- At times, we will limit entry to stores via one entrance for better management of proper social distancing.
- Crowd control guidelines are in place to manage customer traffic while allowing customers to shop quickly and practice proper social distancing.
- All H-E-B Home Delivery and Favor deliveries are dropped at the customer’s doorstep to limit direct interaction.
- Partners are encouraged to work from home and use video conferencing tools to limit in-person meetings.
- H-E-B has eliminated all business-related air travel both domestically and internationally for H-E-B Partners until further notice.
- Partners sanitize all shopping cart handles and seats, if there are children, as customers enter the store.
- Partners wash and sanitize their hands as often as possible and stores have hand sanitizer available at entrances and every point of sale for our Partners.
- In addition to our strict cleaning and sanitation protocols, hard surfaces in the store as well as fuel stations are sanitized throughout the day.
- Stores are deep cleaned every day and Partners are given daily training and education on elevated sanitation protocols.
H-E-B Curbside and Home Delivery
Our H-E-B Curbside and Home Delivery services are in high demand and we have implemented innovative changes that allow our Partners to maintain proper social distancing. For our Curbside customers, we ask that they stay inside their vehicles while their order is loaded into their vehicle and communicate with our Partners through the passenger side window. For Home Delivery customers, all orders will be doorstep delivery, which will not require direct interaction with the delivery driver.
In the spirit of Texans helping Texans, we encourage everyone to do their part. Together, we can slow the spread.
