Major convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan are exploring ways to reduce crowding in their outlets to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Stay-at-home requests issued by the central and local governments over the pandemic have led to a spike in the number of customers at such stores while prompting entertainment facilities and others to close temporarily.

The situation prompted Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to say Wednesday that the metropolitan government plans to consider measures to limit entry into supermarkets.

Convenience store chain Lawson Inc. began on Wednesday to put up posters at its outlets showing the hours when crowding is expected. Having analyzed data on the number of customers at each store, the company displays information on when each tends to be relatively crowded and not crowded.

According to a public relations official of the company, the hours when a store is relatively empty depend on the location, such as whether it is in a residential area or close to a train station.

Lawson plans to launch in two week a system that will enable the posters for all stores to be viewed via personal computer or smartphone.

Supermarket chain Ito-Yokado Co., a unit of Seven & i Holdings Co. has also started using posters to ask people to visit stores at different hours to avoid crowding. The posters give detailed information, such as advice for people to come during the afternoon or evening to avoid crowding in the morning.

Costco Wholesale Japan Ltd., a membership-based mass retailer, is limiting the number of nonmembers that can visit stores with members. It currently allows each customer with membership to come with up to only one family member while children are excluded from the restrictions on people accompanying.

Normally, up to two nonmembers are allowed to visit Costco stores with a customer with membership.

Costco also set hours when people aged 65 or over and those with disabilities get priority in entering the stores.

Many convenience stores and supermarkets have placed markers on the shop floor to signal where customers waiting in the checkout line should stand to avoid being close to each other.

Major drug stores have set irregular hours for selling face masks, aiming to prevent waves of customers amid a continuing shortage of the protective gear due to the coronavirus pandemic.

JIJI Press