Kelowna's Value Village is the first to re-open in North America.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Kelowna’s Value Village is the first to re-open in North America amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, says the director of communications for the stores.

The Value Village, located in Rutland at 190 Aurora Crescent, had a soft opening Tuesday, according to an employee.

“Decisions to reopen are being made on a store-by-store basis as we consider local market conditions, follow guidance from local health and government officials, and ensure we’re operationally ready to reopen our doors with enhanced safety measures,” said Sara Gaugl, director of communications in an emailed statement.

The Kelowna location is open with reduced hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the Value Village website.

Here’s what you can expect for Value Village store re-openings:

New store and donation centre hours

Stores will reopen on a store-by-store basis as we assess local market conditions. Initial hours are 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily to allow for additional time to thoroughly clean and stock our sales floors.

Creating a safe shopping space

Merchandise displays have been removed and additional space is being created on the sales floor to support social distancing measures, according to the website. Stores may also limit the number of shoppers inside at any given time. Fitting rooms are also closed, however, exchange policies have been extended to 14 days.

Enhancing daily cleaning procedures

Stores will be deep cleaned prior to opening and frequency of commonly touched surfaces have been increased, according to the website.

Protective gear

Team members will be wearing protective gear for both customer and employee protection.

Adjusting reusable bag policy

As a temporary and precautionary measure, team members will stop handling shopper-supplied bags (where permitted), though customers can choose to pack up purchases themselves at check-out.

Other Okanagan and Kamloops locations are still temporarily closed, according to the Value Village website.

To see more information on store locations visit Value Village’s website.

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