A new survey reveals anxieties and expectations consumers have about shopping in stores as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a heavy toll on the U.S. economy following many of the shelter-in-place orders enacted by states beginning in March to stem the spread of the disease. As of May 14th, 36 million American have filed for unemployment due to the coronavirus outbreak.

With COVID-19 changing the way many retailers operate their stores and distribution centers, tech providers are offering innovative solutions designed to reduce the risk of infection.

Smart & Final of Los Angeles is streamlining checkout in the age of social distancing with a new queuing system that it says will guide customers more efficiently through the purchasing process.

A socially distant inspired checkout process being put in place at Smart & Final stores borrows heavily from an approach nonfood retailers put in place long before COVID-19.