On September 13, 186 supermarkets in Lithuania require clients to have the national Covid certificate, the Opportunity Pass (Galimybių 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 25 percent, with the flow of people decreasing 30 percent.
“The shops that can operate without the pass received only 1.7 percent more shoppers [than usual],” said Ernesta Dapkienė, head of communications at Maxima.
Under the new rules, only shops larger than 1,500 square metres need to ask for the Covid certificates.
Read more: Mandatory Covid certificates – what you need to know
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 are unhappy about the new rules,” said Darius Ryliškis, 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.
Read more: List of 186 supermarkets in Lithuania that ask for Covid certificates
LRT English
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