Name system begins

Yesterday marked the start of the twice-a-week, alphabetised shopping regime, as set out by the Government of Barbados, where people were allowed to leave their homes to buy groceries and conduct banking business, and thousands of Bajans took to the streets.

It was the first day of the new initiative and those people with surnames beginning with C, D, E and F were allowed to get essentials between the hours of 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and conduct banking business from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The evening shoppers included persons with last names starting with S, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z with the designated time frame of 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for both essentials and banking.

The morning and afternoon lines were long at many supermarkets and financial institutions, extending hundreds of metres away from the entrances of the various buildings.

Though this was the case, many of the managers on hand lauded the initiative and said that they believed the strategy would be successful in the long run. Speaking to the media, Randall Banfield, Managing Director of Massy Stores (Barbados) explained that the long lines were expected.

"People haven't been in supermarkets for maybe a week, so everybody is looking to take advantage of the first opportunity. There is plenty of food in our supermarkets and Barbados in general, supermarkets will be
open everyday, seven days a week for the near foreseeable future. There is really no need to panic and there is no need to rush down here," said Banfield.

The director also urged customers to be mindful of others still outside waiting to get their goods and asked those who enter the supermarkets to just stock the basics and get what was needed in as timely a manner as possible.

Popular Discounts Chief Operating Officer (COO), McArthur Barrow, highlighted that the staff of the supermarket had adapted well, from a two shift system to a one shift system and had worked hard to satisfy the customers. He also pointed out that management had provided each worker with masks and had placed glass between the cashiers and customers to protect the workers.

Barrow, while commending the government for opening supermarkets again, stated that he believed the lines and the rush would ease over time.

"We are happy they (Government) took that course. People will get more comfortable and the customers, once they see that food is readily available, they will start to shop to suit," he explained.

Regarding the long lines, the management at Popular in Kendal Hill cleared a section of the car park and sectioned it to adhere to social distancing guidelines and brought as many customers as possible off
the road to shorten the line which extended into the adjacent neighbourhood.

Barrow also highlighted that a guard was placed at the back of the line at exactly 11 o'clock and any persons joining theline afte could only be from the afternoon list of shoppers.

Hardware stores and fish markets also opened yesterday, following the same regime of using the surname system.