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covid-safe-retail

Covid-Safe Retail Shopping to Reopen the Country
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Simple and instant social distancing/control for all retail store fronts.

Reopening the economy while maintaining safe social distancing is a challenge for retail businesses that do not have an appointment based system already in place. While doctor’s offices can mandate visitor density by appointment; other non-essential retail fronts and large footprint retail spaces need an accessible, efficient, and easy way for crowd control.

This issue can be resolved by any customer by simply visiting the “covid-safe-visitor” domain name on their smart phone. This website uses two common built in features (geo location & cookies) available on all smartphone and web browser platforms (Apple iOS, Android, etc.). The website will allow the user to:

* View a map & search retail store fronts.

* Save (or delete) a visitor time block when they would like to visit.

* View a list of their existing approved time blocks.

* Display a safe “green light” web page to the retailer upon visiting the retail store; the page will turn color as their time block expires.

Retailers can verify a valid customer visitor by asking them to show their “green light” web page at the store front; not unlike a Costco card membership. The web page will automatically turn yellow or red as the customer’s approved visitor time block expires.

The website is geolocation aware and automatically displays the “green/red light” status when a user approaches the retail front. Further verification and enforcement appears on the web page with a unique QR code inside a shaped border for red-green colorblind accessible users (square for “go”, diamond for “expiring soon”, circle for “stop, expired”. The QR code allows additional verification if needed or to open optionally equipped sliding front doors. Color & shape allows a retailer to validate customers at a distance.

Government or retail owners can access the “covid-safe- visitor” domain to enforce and view customer visitor- per-hour limitations for their given store front. Semi- anonymous cookies allow for potential contact tracing research and identify repeating violators or ineffective enforcement.

The website should feature a user friendly experience:

* Responsive website design

* Use google maps to display store locations and hours

* Near real-time AJAX with geolocation updates

* Automatically shows status within a geofence; no need fumble appointment times

* Displays a colored timeline for users to select least crowded time blocks

The pandemic has prevented bringing back a fully open American economy while maintaining safety. Retail fronts can recover costs by using a simple government and/or local enforced “covid-safe-visitor” domain with little to no setup. Customers can ensure safer visits, avoid crowds, and practice manageable social distancing in various retail environments and store footprint sizes. Retailers can better control visitor access and even pause, prioritize, or increase customer access in real time, if need be or to address safety concerns using notifications (I.e. in America, active shooters, a fire, or to clear areas for first responders).

Steveorevo, Apr 30 2020

Ear piercing by mail Ear_20piercing_20by_20mail
Ideal solution ... [8th of 7, Apr 30 2020]

[link]






       // beauty salons can mandate visitor density //   

       Errr .. how does the beautician access their client ? These services tend to involve personal contact ... and full biohazard suits with gloves are pretty cumbersome and uncomfortable to work in...   

       You could always use our "Ear piercing by mail" service <link> but adapt it to include fingers 'n stuff ...   

       Welcome to the Halfbakery, by the way, and congratulations on your first idea.   

       This is a very bizarre place, and some considerable psychological adjustment may be required (should you ever decide you want to re-integrate into so-called "normal" society).
8th of 7, Apr 30 2020
  

       Crowd control doesn’t address what the crowd actually does. The proposed solution doesn’t assist beauty salons; they already have an appointment system. But it does provide a no/little overhead path for general malls; large footprint gathering places that are currently closed off to foot traffic. Think IKEA, BestBuy, clothing & department stores, etc. It should be as easy as flashing a Costco membership card but with intelligent controls to alert both retailer and customer of any issues (regarding social distancing & exposure).   

       Further development could alert prior visitors of any positive exposure; or local authorities could use the aggregated data.
Steveorevo, Apr 30 2020
  

       // Crowd control doesn’t address what the crowd actually does. //   

       We'll, er, leave that one for some of the slightly more pedantic residents to pick up on ....
8th of 7, Apr 30 2020
  
      
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