“We're very excited that finally the stores are open. The shop has baskets at the entrance to determine the number of people. We didn't have any baskets before. We provided them specifically for the limits of this moment so that the number of people can be controlled. We can have 20 people in this shop,” said Katrīna, Marketing Chief for the Četras Zoles footwear shop.
As the store opened, customers stood by the door already.
“It was most packed around 11.00 — right at the opening time. (..) Yes, there is a peak in the shop at the moment, as it means everyone was waiting and wanted to [shop],” Katrīna said.
Shoulder to shoulder and no distance - such a scene could be seen in many places in Riga on Wednesday at the shops.
There were particularly long queues at secondhand clothing shops. In Old Town, at some stores, the line stretched across the street. Neither the distance nor the time spent waiting in line is an obstacle.
“I just wanted to see what was new, what had discounts,” said Paula, who had to spend an hour in line.
But the opportunity to visit shops doesn't seem tempting for everyone.
“I always have everything, I don't need to run after anything. (..) But it's sad, the theater's closed, the cinema is closed, nowhere to go,” said Rita, passer-by.
In the morning, also the parking lot at the Depo DIY shop was almost full. But no queues are forming, since customers know what they want and the flow of shoppers is smooth.
