How Some Stores Are Reducing In-Person Contact for Holiday Shopping Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

When it comes to holiday shopping this year, the National Retail Federation warns, to "shop safe, shop early." And if you haven’t been in stores much, you might be surprised by some of the new protocols put in place.

When it comes to holiday shopping this year, the National Retail Federation warns, to "shop safe, shop early." And if you haven’t been in stores much, you might be surprised by some of the new protocols put in place.

At Home Depot, social distancing captains patrol the store, according to the company’s vice president. They also installed item lockers to avoid human contact. Employees put products in the lockers for customers to pick up.

Other stores, including Build-a-Bear and Zales, are taking extra steps to ensure customers’ safety during the pandemic.

Mom Desiree Watts is taking advantage of a new pre-order service at Build-a-Bear that allows you to customize the bear at home before picking it up at the store.

“The amount of people and the germs and you know, who could be sick. I also can’t imagine being stuck in a line with a bunch of people wearing a mask the whole time,” Watts told Inside Edition.

When Watts got to the store, the bear was already ready for pick up.

“I feel safe. I feel like I got my thing done really quickly,” Watts said.

At Zales in West Nyack, New York, employees sanitize each piece of jewelry that gets touched in the store.

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