With the community quarantine still in place over many areas in the country, 7-Eleven continues to focus in fulfilling its objective of serving its customers while protecting and taking care of its customers and employees.
The Covid-19 pandemic, without a doubt, is an unforeseen event that literally debilitated almost every business sector all over the world. It’s currently a war that every individual is fighting but like what, health experts say, is a war against an invisible enemy. In the Philippines, the government had to take measures similar to what other countries have done—impose a halt among many businesses which led many people to either work from their respective homes, if applicable, or become temporarily unemployed.
According to Philippine Seven Corp. (PSC), the exclusive local licensor of 7-Eleven convenience store chain, it is also affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) implemented by the national government in mid-March of this year. However, it tried to continue serving the public by having more than 50 percent of its stores nationwide in operation because it can still sell food and cleaning items, which were identified as essentials under guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF). Some 7-Eleven stores are allowed to open only at daytime, or maintain its usual 24/7 operation depending on the store’s location.
In general, 7-Eleven stores made it a point to take part in the government’s protocol to surpass the ongoing pandemic and contribute to the safety of customers, while serving their needs. To ensure the safety of customers, 7-Eleven put up signs reminding their customers to wear face masks before entering the store and sanitize their hands, provided with alcohol on the entrance. 7-Eleven stores also ensure that handrails and most frequently touched areas are being sanitized for added safety. Stores are also putting up floor stickers to ensure social distancing between customers.
PSC identified which stores will and shall be opened based on its location and other qualifications it has set. The company also helped its franchisees perform the necessary precautions by supplying the latter with safety-need items and constantly communicating with them and reminding them to follow local government protocols.
Employee safety is a must
PSC took advantage of the government mandated rules on hazard pay and kept its store employees, who are also considered as frontliners by the community, updated with the benefits they can get.
As for its franchisees, some of them took initiatives such as renting places for their staff to stay that are near assigned stores since mass transportation was suspended. Franchisee Richard Murillo saw that many of his staff will have a hard time traveling to work. To solve this, he rented an apartment for his staff near the store.
Others gave allowances and relief. This is what Mariano Magbanua Jr., a franchisee of several 7-Eleven stores did. He gave his employees a P500 peso allowance and those working at stores that had to be closed due to the prevailing community quarantine were transferred to other stores that were allowed to open.
Similarly, franchisee Wenchelle Gamolo in Mindanao wanted her staff to stay employed for the duration of the ECQ. To do this, some of those working at the store that had to be closed under the ECQ were transferred to her store located in Kauswagan Bonbon. These franchise-initiated activities aim to ease the burden their staff encounter everyday during the pandemic.
Adapting to the ‘new normal’
Customers currently have to accept the “new normal,” where dining inside a 7-Eleven store is currently limited and the sale of alcoholic drinks were prohibited under areas with liquor ban. While all the usual items found in a 7-Eleven store were made available, the top-selling items are condiments, food ingredients, and cleaning supplies, which are the daily essentials in every household. 7-Eleven made sure that these necessities are available since they are not available in sari-sari stores, or were hard to obtain from grocery stores during ECQ. With the community quarantine still in place over many areas in the country, PSC continues to focus in fulfilling its objective of serving customers while protecting and taking care of its employees. The company wants to open as many stores as needed, which may be possible if it is given rental holidays—which can also help franchisees keep stores open.
As the national government starts to gradually ease community quarantine restrictions in many areas of the country, 7-Eleven is set to adapt again to the needs of the community.
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