From September 13, 186 supermarkets in Lithuania require clients to have the national Covid certificate, the Opportunity Pass (Galimybiu Pasas). On the first day of the new rules, shops reported a drop in revenue with some conflicts erupting at the door between clients and workers checking the passes.
Maxima, one of the biggest chains, saw their year-on-year turnover on September 13 drop by 25%, with the flow of people decreasing by 30%.
“The shops that could operate without the pass received only 1.7% more shoppers than usual,” said Ernesta Dapkiene, head of communications at Maxima.
Under the new rules, only shops larger than 1,500 square meters need to ask for the Covid certificates.
Representatives of Lithuania’s supermarket chains said workers checking the passes at the doors were sometimes the target of abuse.
Some clients also took to social media, cutting up their loyalty cards and calling for boycotts.
“There were conflicts, because a large share of the people were unhappy about the new rules,” said Darius Ryliskis, representative of the Norfa supermarket chain.
“Even those with the Opportunity Pass expressed their disapproval. Workers who are checking the passes are finding it difficult psychologically, because they have to absorb all the negativity,” he added. (LRT/Business World Magazine)