RED Barracuda Vape stores to reopen with strict social distancing measures in place

RED Barracuda Vape Ltd have announced that they will be reopening their 10 stores in June and July.

The stores, which have been closed since 23rd March 2020, will be reopened in three stages, with the groups six larger stores opening first on 22nd June 2020. Following this, three stores are planned to reopen the following week on 29th June 2020, with the remaining one store reopening on 6th July 2020.

Of the first wave of store openings is the Rumney store, which has undertaken a substantial re-fit and has resulted in increased retail floorspace and an enhanced aesthetic.

The second and third wave of store re-openings will include smaller stores which require more time to assess the social distancing options available for the space.

The full list of stores and the dates on which they are planned to re-open are:

RED Barracuda Vape will continue to implement the stringent social distancing measures recommended by the government and the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) that were introduced prior to the store closures plus additional measures to ensure the safety of customers and staff. The following measures will be implemented in all stores:

• Screens installed to protect staff and customers
• Up to two customers per store, dependent on store size
• Face masks to be worn by staff and customers
• Floor markings two metres apart
• Hand sanitiser stations will be installed at entry and exit of stores
• Daily deep clean of stores
• All stores will have a full complement of hand soap, disinfectant wipes and disinfectant sprays as normal to ensure stores are clean throughout the day
• No vaping in store
• No testing of liquids in test devices – testing in customers’ own devices, outside of the store.

RED Barracuda Vape have made it clear that there will be no tolerance of customers not abiding by the social distancing measures and therefore putting staff and other customers at risk. Any customer not following the guidelines will be politely asked to do so or asked to leave the store.

During this period of unprecedented and surreal changes, this fast-growing British brand, part of RED Box Group Ltd, has been communicating regularly with customers and staff about the steps taken to address the COVID-19 situation and make clear that their main priority has always been the safety and wellbeing of customers and staff.

Since the closure of all stores, the business has adapted swiftly and smoothly by focusing attention on their online store, which has been hugely popular with customers. The introduction of free delivery on all orders and same-day delivery in some areas of the country was a decision led by the company’s Managing Director, Mark Shaw, to ensure the safety of customers and staff. Mark commented:

“During these times, many things are uncertain. We wanted to ensure that we continued to provide world-class service to our customers by taking away the additional cost of delivery. We introduced our same-day delivery service which has proved extremely popular as it offers convenience and encourages people to stay at home and to stay safe.”

In addition to the convenience and cost-saving of free delivery, the business is aware that many of their customers are new to vaping having made the switch from smoking. The absorption of delivery charges ensures that non-smokers are able to continue vaping without the need to return to tobacco.

Mark continued:

“We understand that for those who are ex-smokers that the most challenging of times when quitting are stressful situations and we want to alleviate as much pressure from the consumer as possible.”

The business take very seriously their responsibility to their customers, especially those who have quit smoking through vaping and have found vaping a healthier alternative to tobacco.

As members of the industry trade association, IBVTA and with Mark himself an active board member, the business have taken proactive steps to protect the vaping industry and are huge advocates for the consumer.

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