Rob Braddick, 48, who owns Braddick’s Holiday Park in Westward Ho!, Devon, in the southwest of England, has filled the toy grabber machines in his amusement arcade with two of the country’s most sought-after sanitary products, toilet paper and sanitizers.
The recent spread of the coronavirus has sparked panic buying of toilet paper and cleaning products in countries across the world, but the UK businessman is determined to spread some happiness among the anxiety and confusion.
Previously, arcade customers could previously try their hand at grabbing “Peter Rabbit” or “Frozen 2” toys from the machines.
“They got evicted this morning,” Braddick said of the toys, replacing them with hand sanitizers sachets and toilet rolls.point 351 |
ADVERTISEMENT
Visitors can now pay 65 cents for three goes on the toilet roll grabber, or $1.point 64 | 30 a go for Carex, which the arcade owner described as the “Rolls-Royce of hand sanitizers.point 146 | ”
Braddick said to CNN that the idea was born of a desire to cheer people up in trying times.point 331 |
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s a bit of light relief with everything that’s going on,” he said.point 82 | “Hopefully it will raise a smile, which I think everybody needs.point 142 | ” Braddick added.point 163 |
Travel plans have been severely affected around the world, and tens of millions of people remain in quarantine as part of global efforts to combat coronavirus.point 410 |
ADVERTISEMENT
Many supermarkets around the globe have seen shortages of toilet paper and hand sanitizer as consumers stockpile the products out of anxiety.point 120 |
Braddick added their family business, which has been operating since 1932, has received more than a dozen calls from potential customers who said they don’t want to travel overseas for their holidays and would rather stay at home in the UK.point 433 |
ADVERTISEMENT
As for his own coronavirus prevention, Braddick told that the staff have been urged to wash their hands every half hour, which is particularly important for those handling money in the arcade.point 161 |