Like a majority of French people, you are confined to your home. A large number of brands, including those that have had to close their doors since the start of the coronavirus health crisis, as well as e-commerce specialists offer to deliver to your home. Whether clothing, high-tech, DIY or sports equipment. But is it safe? What precautions should be taken? What services are maintained? While the government is preparing to publish a guide to health precautions to follow in the context of home delivery, we take stock.
Closed restaurants: can we have meals delivered to our homes?
It is allowed "as long as it is done without contact". As soon as the confinement announced, the Secretary of State for Digital has published "a guide to health precautions to be observed in the context of the delivery of meals at home". Concretely, the delivery man must "put down his open bag and the restaurant staff places the meal directly in the bag," said the ministry. When the meal is delivered, the delivery person warns the customer of his arrival (by knocking or ringing) and he immediately leaves or departs a distance of at least 2 meters from the door, before the customer opens. The goal is not to cross paths. "
What about shopping?
It is also possible. Some brands - Franprix, Monoprix and soon some Carrefour - have strengthened their home shopping delivery system by offering baskets of basic necessities (which can be ordered by phone) for the elderly or those who can hardly get out of their home. Whether through this device or with the classic delivery system, the instructions are the same: “Our delivery people wear gloves. And as much as possible, we ask them to make mail delivery respecting a distance of 2 meters with the customer, "explains the spokeswoman of Monoprix, however, encouraging" common sense and solidarity ".
Excluding food, what can we still buy?
Almost everything in the end. E-commerce platforms such as Cdiscount, Amazon or Fnac-Darty work ... with more or less difficulty. “Obviously, we can no longer offer in-store pick-up or click and collect. But home delivery - either by postal traffic or with our own couriers for large aircraft - is possible. Almost all of our delivery people are there, ”said Olivier Garcia, product manager at Fnac-Darty, who ensures that he has the necessary stocks. While it initially authorized it, the distributor decided, however, to be content with delivering large appliances or TVs but no longer installing them in the customer's home. Only interventions to resolve faults remain authorized.
Some more traditional brands which therefore had to close their doors are currently switching to home delivery. Like the number one clothing company in France, Kiabi: “We continue to offer this service in order to help these families who are in urgent need, such as pajamas for their children. It's troubleshooting, each Frenchman obviously has to be reasonable during this period, "asks Béatrice Héricourt, CEO of the brand, who also points out that delivery is offered" to make life easier for families who are stranded. " H & M also offers free delivery until April 6. "We are also extending our return policy from 30 days to 100 days for online purchases," says the brand. Note that at Fnac-Darty, shipping costs are now offered from 20 euros of purchase.
Is it safe to have it delivered during this period?
For the moment in any case, "while many restrictions are already imposed on the French, the idea is to succeed in maintaining certain services provided that it is satisfactory from a health point of view", we answer within of the Secretary of State for Digital, which will also publish in the coming hours a guide to the precautions to take for home delivery.
“Our concern is that there is as little contact as possible. It is therefore a question of dropping off the package and moving away so that the delivery man and the client are at least one meter apart, we are told by the ministry. In addition, all barrier gestures apply, both in the delivery chain, where everyone must wash their hands regularly, but also at the customer who will also have to wash their hands as soon as they have received and opened the package. "
VIDEO. How to wash your hands well in 6 steps
Discussions are underway to find out to what extent it would be possible to do without the signature (which ensures that the customer has received his package) to avoid contact as much as possible. For its part, Cdiscount has already instructed its deliverers to sign for customers. “When we deliver a large product, we drop it at the foot of the building. The delivery man moves away, he gives the customer time to check the order and signs the voucher in his place so that he does not touch the pencil or the sheet ", explains the e-merchant, leader in the delivery of large household appliances .
What type of delivery to choose?
Relay points in stores are closed until April 15 at Mondial Relay. No date announced at Relais Colis. The two giants of parcel delivery to merchants (respectively 8,500 and 5,200 collection points in France) have stopped all new orders. They ensure that the parcels already dispatched are safe, either locked in the closed shop or in the logistics center.
For its part, Leboncoin explains that the sales money is in escrow until the product is delivered. "In responsibility", the French classified ads site invites people to stay at home and avoid meeting for transactions. The period of validity of the advertisements is extended.
“It pays me” newsletter
The newsletter that improves your purchasing powerI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
Ultimately, you can choose delivery as a deposit but make sure they are accessible (and not inside, for example, a store that is closed). When the brands offer it, the easiest way is to choose home delivery.
Are delivery times extended?
Again, it is variable. Fnac-Darty ensures that delivery promises are kept, ie D + 1 for Fnac + members and express orders and D + 2 for others. Many packages are also routed by La Poste or Chronopost.
On this side too, we want to be reassuring: “Chronopost and Colissimo work, with almost 100% of the workforce except those absent for childcare. 80% of the mail carriers left to tour on Wednesday and Tuesday with a better rate of home delivery because people are more at home… ”, specifies La Poste. On the other hand, if the customer has to collect a parcel from one of the post offices, this can prove to be more complicated since only 1600 offices remain open out of 8000.
Given the number of requests, Amazon has chosen to give priority, in its warehouses, to the delivery of essential products. The American platform sent a message to the sellers of its marketplace to warn them that they could continue to put non-priority products online, but that they will have to ship them by themselves. "Some products such as basic products, hygiene and health and other products with high demand are out of stock, explains Amazon France. This is why, in order to be able to receive, replenish and deliver these products more quickly to customers, Amazon temporarily favors their access to its distribution centers. "
