Coronavirus: With deep cleaning, medical check-ups, Viviana mall prepares for post-virus life

Business continuity

Business continuity for us would mean that the shopping centre is fully functional as a business. Hence, obviously during a lockdown trading would not take place so it is a time for us to prepare the mall for re-opening and welcoming back customers.

Current challenges:

Managing Costs and Fund Flows

Engaging Customers

Instilling a sense of confidence in customers for the time when mall starts trading again

Keeping retailers engaged

Keeping the shopping centre and all its plant and machinery in readiness for operations

Maintaining the shopping centre and all its plant and machinery as well as all its various other equipment especially when there is no vendor movement and limited staff

Managing the manning of the shopping centre with required skeleton staff across departments from security to housekeeping  to maintenance

Offering a quality experience to customers visiting relevant sections of the hypermarket that is permitted to function

Measures Undertaken:

1. Viviana Mall has initiated several precautionary measures to ensure hygienic and uncontaminated public space for shoppers. Before and after the lockdown, we have initiated regular deep cleaning of the entire premises other than much-needed sanitization drive. We would continue with deep cleaning and sanitization of all the areas in and around the mall before the mall is re-opened and thereon.
2. We have already procured specialized equipment like steam cleaners and body temperature scanners as well as we have indigenously developed sanitizing equipment for area fumigation, goods received and for people to walk through. We are in the process of finalizing additional equipment requirements for use during the shopping centre trading.
3. In addition to this, based on a wide variety of sources including the Shopping Centre Association of India (SCAI), we are developing detailed SOPs and guidelines for customers, retailers, F&B Operators and Food Court as well as for own staff and shopping centre management office. We have made this an integral part of our Standard Operating Procedure.
4. To instill a sense of confidence in the customers and retailers, we are regularly posting videos and clips on our social media highlighting various cleaning, sanitizing, training and maintenance activities being carried out at the shopping centre.
5. We are in touch with many customers and retailers telephonically as well
6. In addition, we are keeping our customers engaged through various posts and live streaming of activities like cooking demos, craft and fun activities for children, Zumba online, yoga online, live music performances, recipe sharing as well as a host of other contests and activities including tips on how to deal with the novel virus
7. We have drastically cut down our day to day CAM expenses and my team is very proactive in rolling out these measures.
8. As we have a rooftop solar installation, we have been able to cut down electricity costs significantly.
9. Due to the lockdown, there is no vendor movement, we are doing all our maintenance activities in house as per a detailed schedule worked out again proactively by our Maintenance Chief and his staff. We have worked out a daily operating schedule across departments for various types of mechanical equipment that are there in the shopping centre. This is with a view to keep them in readiness for operations when the shopping centre starts trading again.
10. We are in regular touch with relevant authorities and are offering our full support and compliance
11. Coordinating with the hypermarket on a daily basis to ensure a quality experience to all visiting customers