As President and CEO of the National Retail Federation, Matthew Shay is the chief advocate and spokesman for the retail industry, the nation’s largest private-sector industry employer. Before, he was President and CEO of the International Franchise Association.

Last week, the NRF launched Operation Open Doors “to give retailers tools and guidance as they navigate the process of reopening,” Shay said.

Here, Shay discusses the biggest challenges to reopening retail, the importance of safety guidelines and procedures, and if retail can operate at near-normal levels soon.

What in your view is the biggest challenge/hurdle to reopen and why is it more difficult than the others?

The biggest challenge is the need for consistent guidelines across all levels of government, without overburdensome regulatory schemes. This was a significant issue for retailers at the onset of the pandemic with conflicting information from governors and mayors about stores closures, and will be just as big of an issue, if not bigger, as retailers reopen. As NRF noted in our recent letter to President Trump: “Retailers are preparing for new processes, consumer behaviors and legal requirements or restrictions, where there was once no playbook. Our country must not allow a lack of resources, regulations that are not fit-for-purpose, and the fear of litigation to delay efforts to return to work and live safely and sustainably.”

Fashion designers are looking at hygiene of garments as key—especially those that consumers try on in stores or return. Do you have specific advice in that area?

We’re tracking this issue closely as part of NRF’s Operation Open Doors initiative and plan to release best practices – developed in concert with retailers and health care professionals – in the near future. Operation Open Doors is a comprehensive, digital roadmap to help retailers navigate reopening, covering four key areas: health and safety, people and personnel, logistics and supply chain, and litigation and liability.

Understanding that we are still in a situation that could change daily, do you have a sense or goal of when you think retail will be able to operate at near – normal levels?

I have no doubt we will get back to levels of activity we saw before the health crisis, but it will take some time. If we continue on the current trajectory, the reopening of the economy will happen gradually — in phases — and look different in different parts of the country. Retailers’ top concern is always the health of their associates and the customers that they have the privilege of serving every day. Companies that remained open during the pandemic have created new safety protocols and procedures to protect employees and customers, generating best practices that can be applied across the retail industry and economy broadly as we see the U.S. begin to reopen.

That is why we launched Operation Open Doors — to give retailers tools and guidance as they navigate the process of reopening.