‘Working together to be CovidSafe’. That’s the phrase you’ll see marked on the vests donned by the many hard-working essential staff in Woolworths stores across the country right now. As another Christmas period under the constraint of Covid-19 looms, Woolworths continues to demonstrate a commitment to this assertion and provides valuable lessons in the management of customer safety both in and out of their supermarkets and Metro stores. At the core of this, has been a willingness to go above and beyond just the mandated ‘Covid-Safe’ policies we are now familiar with.
Working Together – Black Lab Design and Woolworths
Working with a multitude of Australian businesses such as Black Lab, the Woolworths Group has shown how greater investment in processes, people and technology has a hugely positive impact on the satisfaction of customers and their staff alike, and as a result, their full-year profit. Recognising that QR code check-ins, social distancing and masks weren’t quite enough to serve the concerns of all of their shoppers, nor guarantee the safety of their valued workers, the company has worked tirelessly to enhance what being ‘Covid Safe’ means.
“It was another challenging year for our team and communities but also a year where we achieved a lot together.”
Brad Banducci, Woolworths Group CEO
Black Lab Design has been delighted to work with Woolworths to deliver some of the fabricated appliances that have proved integral to bolstering the sense of safety in their stores and alleviating the workload of employees. Sourcing manufactured goods locally has been a strategy that allows Woolworths to realise benefits beyond just cost and lead-time savings. The full-service capabilities of Black Lab across the pre- and post-production phases of manufacturing ensure the company has constant contact with specialised and dedicated project management and an ability to adapt and change production details at short notice. In understanding these advantages, Black lab Design has worked with Woolworths to design, produce and deliver products like the distinctive trolley washers, automatic hand-sanitiser units, wipes dispenser bins, and high-quality protective cashier screen shields.
Woolworths Trolley Washers
The trolley washers were a product designed and developed at Black Lab that we were particularly proud of. Described by some as ‘mini car washers’ for your trolley, these unique units garnered attention on social media and news sites as exciting new additions to Woolworths stores. Adding another line of defence against virus transmission on high-touch surfaces, automating an otherwise labour intensive task for staff wiping down shopping trolleys constantly. TikTok users sharing videos of the trolley washers in action were seen by millions on the app all over the world, as people were thrilled to see the supermarket going the extra-mile for their valued customers. “We live in a new generation” was the caption used by one TikTokker sharing her first experience with the innovative installations. An article by the Daily Mail wrote “The machine appears to be more efficient than other cleaning methods on offer in supermarkets across the country where customers are strongly encouraged to wipe the trolley bar handles with disinfectant wipes and use hand sanitiser.”
For us at Black Lab, seeing our products ignite interest and discussion among the public gives us great satisfaction and further stimulates our passion for innovation with the goal of helping other Aussie businesses improve and excel.
