What has happened in Victoria this week as a result of the spike in COVID-19 cases has been a challenge. I say this as someone living in Victoria and with several businesses based in Victoria.

Whereas since march, we have all been in this together, now some postcodes are in and others are not. The tougher lockdowns in some postcodes have resulted in challenges outside those postcodes.

Major shopping centres have seen a sharp decline in shopper traffic and this is playing out at the register with sales down 50% and more from early in the week. That decline is playing well for high street retailers with most I have spoken with experiencing steady and even slightly up sales.

Jigsaw sales are up again as are other categories such as nesting.

While some in other states have made fun of Victoria, the reality is we are beta testing living with corona for the longer term. By beta testing mean we Victorians are working out how to live with this for the longer term.

The reality is that due to mixed messages from shouty media and plenty of politicians on all sides, it makes sense that people became complacent. What we have seen is that complacency is dangerous, it has consequences.

Social distancing is key. Washing hands matters. Using hand sanitiser is important. Keeping a clean and well organised shop is our responsibility. Health and safety barriers at retail counters are important. Seriousness about health is core. Discipline and commitment to these things is what life in this corona world until there is a vaccine is what matters.

From a business management perspective, we have learned that the corona lockdown months are the new normal and that we need to adapt our businesses. Some of what we have experienced these months is sticking. More businesses are adopting for the long term lockdown changes, such as working from home.

In all of these moves there are opportunities for local retailers.

The infection spike in Victoria has been a timely reminder that March through June were not a blip. No, they are experiences we in business need to leverage for all those who rely on our businesses for income and support.

The mantra from March is relevant today: be frugal, hoard cash, make safe business decisions, ensure that every person in your shop needs to be there.

If you feel disconnected with what has been happening in Victoria, know that you are one person away from experiencing this where you are.

I posted this on the Facebook pages for my Victorian businesses and the newsXpress national Facebook page.

While it is frustrating being the butt of jokes from other states, corona is invisible and will spike in other places too. This week and next we Victorians get to show the rest of the country how to deal with a second wave.

I share it here as other Victorian retailers may wish to post their own messaging early in this period a surge of corona infections. I felt it was better to be on the front foot about this given the wall to wall coverage in the news and given how some media outlets outside the state are speaking about us.

Dan Andrews, the Premier of Victoria just announced a return to stage 3 lockdown for some Victorian postcodes in response to COVID-19 infections.

The return to stage 3 lockdown presents challenges for residents and businesses in these areas. Newsagents, based on past experience, will be exempt. High street newsagents in particular will see foot traffic changes as the shopping malls empty out, which has started already.

Click on the image to see the full statement by the Premier. I have shared it here as I suspect news outlets will not run the full statement.

Related, earlier this week I announced to people working in my own office-based businesses that I anticipate we will continue our work from home approach for most through to the end of this year at least. The feedback I had was that people wanted certainty.

90% of our workforce is working from home with Microsoft Teams, Zoom and our VoiP phone system key to maintaining contact and productivity.

1. If you can trade outdoors at all, do so we know outside is safer.
2. Check our in-store communication re social distancing.
3. Ensure you have hand sanitiser at the entrance and at the counter.
4. Keep perspex counter protection screens in place.
5. Maintain good cleaning practices.
6. Remind everyone working in the shop about hand washing.
7. If you serve in an area where English is not a dominant first language, consider using the resources at this link for Covid information in many different languages: https://www.sbs.com.au/language/coronavirus
8. Consider this social media post: With Covid challenging 5 regions in Victoria, it is important that we maintain a safe and healthy distance, wash our hands regularly, use hand sanitiser and stay home if we feel unwell or have any Covid symptom. here at the shop, we offer hand sanitiser, clean regularly and enforce social distancing. Let’s squash this thing, again.
9. If your shop is in one of the 5 regions, we urge you to be on top of government messaging, and to share this. For example, the advice to stay within the region until the outbreak is brought under control. We suggest demonstrating concern for local health is good for the community and good for your business. Consider masks for everyone working in the shop.

Choice yesterday released a report indicating that several significant retailers hiked prices during the Covid lockdown.

Between 18 and 19 March 2020, for instance, just as the national lockdown was about to come into effect, the price for a 237L vertical freezer from Winning Appliances went from $2085 to $2850, and it stayed at the higher price until early April.

It was a 37% price increase overnight. Over the six-month period we analysed, the biggest previous price jump for this freezer from Winning Appliances was 10%.

Why does this matter here? Small business retailers can share the Choice story to underscore a different between big business and small business.