THOUSANDS of retailers are preparing to welcome back shoppers from tomorrow – but there will be a strict set of rules customers will have to follow.
High street shops in England have been given the go-ahead to reopen on Monday April 12 after months of being forced to close.
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Retailers have spent millions of pounds making sure they’re Covid-secure so that they can reopen safely for customers and staff.
Measures include perspex screens at tills, personal protective equipment for staff and social distancing markers throughout stores.
To help stop the spread of the coronavirus – and any further lockdowns – shops are calling on the public to play their part too.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a trade body which represents over 5,000 businesses, has put together a set of rules for customers to follow when in store.
Timeline for businesses reopening after lockdown
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has outlined his roadmap for easing England out of lockdown.
Businesses will be allowed to reopen on the following dates, as long as the “four steps to freedom” are met.
April 12
- Retail
- Hospitality outdoors
- Hairdressers
- Zoos
- Self-catered staycations with one household
May 17
- Indoor hospitality
- Indoor exercise gyms
- Bingo halls
- Cinemas
- Sports stadiums to reopen but capped to 10,000 fans
- Saunas
- Spas
June 21
The seven steps begin by urging customers to be respectful to shop staff and workers.
It comes after warnings by retailers that staff are often in the firing line of angry customers infuriated by the new measures.
Shoppers are reminded to wear a face mask while inside stores, unless they are medically exempt.
They are also being asked to maintain social distancing and be considerate when they are queuing either to pay or to enter the store.
Signs that have been put up around shops should be adhered to as well, including those asking people to follow the one way systems.
Extra hygiene measures should also be followed, such as regularly washing hands at sanitiser stations.
Where possible, customers should shop alone to reduce the number of people in stores at the same time.
This will also help other customers to social distance while shopping.
The BRC warns so far the three national lockdowns have cost non-food stores around £30billion in lost sales.
Helen Dickinson, chief exec of the BRC said:Â “While we expect an initial surge in spending when shops first open, the real test will be how this holds up.
“Many of us will be looking forward to returning to our favourite shop in the coming weeks, and we all have a duty to keep each other safe.”
Primark, Next, New Look and John Lewis are among the retailers that will open doors again from next week.
Plus the Government has given fashion retailers the go ahead to open changing rooms when stores reopen, so customers can try before they buy.
But not all businesses are able to reopen from tomorrow, while sadly some have closed down indefinitely.
