No, pandemic restrictions have not returned, but crowd control signs posted on the doors of two Dollarama locations in Parkdale may leave customers with poor memories of lockdown-era policies.
Located within three blocks of each other on Queen Street West, the pair of storefronts are limiting the number of shoppers they allow inside during the afternoons.
“Ensuring your safety is our priority,” the signs read. “We occasionally adjust our maximum occupancy in-store to prevent overcrowding and to ensure you have a great customer experience while shopping.”
At the new 1488 Queen Street West location, Dollarama assistant manager Shamein, who chose not to disclose her last name to TorontoToday, has implemented the measure between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily.
Introduced in September, she said the move was necessary because high school students from Parkdale Collegiate Institute tend to flock to the store and fill the space quickly during their lunch hour and after the final bell.
“Some customers are complaining that when they come in, it’s too crowded and they cannot shop — especially in the food aisle,” she explained. “We’re doing the control during that time so everybody can shop properly.”
With 650 students in attendance this year, Parkdale Collegiate is a five-minute walk from both Dollarama locations.
Shamein revealed that during peak periods, the store caps its occupancy at 12 people, six of whom can be students.
Sometimes, this rule can cause lineups to form outside the retailer.
“It’s not a huge store, but it’s a lot of students — so it’s too much,” she said. “But once two or three go out, we allow two or three more to come in. Some customers are in wheelchairs, so this is safer for them too, and it goes faster for everyone.”
Just down the road at 1337 Queen Street West — an older location that is slated for expropriation by the city for the forthcoming Parkdale Hub project — Dollarama's crowd control policy is only in effect during the high school’s lunch hour: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The manager there, who requested to remain anonymous, said they don’t cap access to the store at a specific headcount, but added that filtering people in and out is occasionally a necessary move.
“The store can get crowded at that time for sure,” she said. “It’s the kids. Sometimes they’re not buying anything, they just come to enjoy themselves. But we haven’t had any problems.”
These two Dollaramas are by no means unique.
According to an email from Lyla Radmanovich, the company’s media relations spokesperson, Dollarama stores that deal with high traffic have several tools available to them — including the crowd control policy.
“[It] aims to limit the number of people in the store at any given time, when required,” she wrote. “Stores employing this policy are expected to do so in line with our customer service standards and with the utmost respect for customers.”