April 14, 2020

An employee at Lewis Drug who tested positive for COVID-19 is recovering, and the retailer itself is focused on managing safety, the supply chain and planning for what’s to come.

Last week, the state of South Dakota reported that an employee at Lewis’ 37th Street and Minnesota Avenue store had tested positive, along with a worker at Get-N-Go at 33rd Street and Minnesota Avenue. That was followed by two employee cases at Walmart stores on the east and south sides of Sioux Falls.

“They’re doing fine,” CEO Mark Griffin said of his affected employee. “Going through the protocol and doing fine.”

The retail chain has implemented stringent protocols at its 59 stores.

“We’re more secure at Lewis than any place I can think of,” Griffin said. “We clean and clean and clean. We deep clean at night. We take it real seriously. We are spaced out, masked up, cleaned up, sanitized constantly.”

The stores continue to maintain a steady stream of inventory, including some of the most sought-after items, he said.

“We practice guerrilla retail. We hunt and try to find a deal wherever we can on products, and we don’t have to commit like big companies do three months out or a month out,” Griffin said. “We can go get it with our trucks. We can ship it in. We’re flexible. We can get a semi of Purell or toilet paper or paper towels quick. Obviously, it goes out real fast. We actually have people follow our trucks to the store. So we’re in a favorable position in terms of the retail business.”

About half of Lewis’ office staff is working remotely, he said. Employees can choose to stay home if they prefer. The stores have been able to staff appropriately, he said.

“That’s the thing I’m most proud of. Our people are heroes,” he said. “They’re on the line and not only at the front check stands but within the store and most especially in the pharmacy area. They’re on the line with people who come in and shop with us and deal with their illnesses, and in many cases, it’s the flu. People don’t talk about it, but there’s a very strong flu season going on underneath the virus crisis, so I’m extremely proud of them and the oath they take and the way they deal with everybody every day. It’s above and beyond.”

Lewis is still giving shots for the flu, pneumonia and shingles, he said.

Late last week, the drugstore industry was approved by the federal government to be able to administer an eventual vaccine for COVID-19, as well as tests both for the virus and to detect antibodies for it. None are available yet, but the groundwork has been laid for Lewis and places like it to handle those tests and ultimately a vaccine.

“And between now and vaccine immunization, there might be other applications they can use us for,” Griffin said. “They’re opening up the practicality of using trained pharmacists in a capacity they should be used because they’re available and convenient and well trained.”

In the nearer term, Lewis is taking steps to open its garden centers, beginning in the coming week. The retailer commits to that inventory months in advance and orders custom products.

“We’ll bring in the hardier products earlier, the trees and shrubs that hold up well with weather,” Griffin said, adding gardening could be therapeutic for people staying mostly at home.

“I think we all need to look at things in balance and perspective, and if there’s a way to balance a virus crisis with keeping the economy upright,” he said.

“There’s a lot of people – I can speak from a retail perspective in this country – that were not in the best shape before this started, and this might tip them over. Fortunately, we’re not one of them. But that needs to be a consideration when opening things up.”