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Almost 190,000 retail jobs lost the since first lockdown



Almost 190,000 jobs have been lost since shops were first forced to shut their doors a year ago.

New data from the Centre for Retail Research has revealed that 188,685 retail jobs have gone between the start of the first lockdown on 23 March 2020 and 31 March this year.

The survey showed that 83,725 jobs lost in the period were due to administrations, including major collapses by Debenhams and the Arcadia Group.

Meanwhile, around 11,986 jobs were cut during Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) restructuring processes.

Another 92,974 jobs were axed through rationalisation programmes, which included supermarkets Sainsbury’s and Asda cutting thousands of roles.

The devastating impact of the pandemic resulted in 15,153 store closures in shopping destinations across the UK.

According to real estate adviser Altus Group, up to 401,690 shops are currently shuttered around the country and could reopen in the next stage of the road map out of lockdown.

From tomorrow (5 April) homeware shops and garden centres in Scotland will be permitted to re-open, 100 days after they were compelled to close on Boxing Day.

The curtailment of click and collect services undertaken by non-essential retailers will also end tomorrow, albeit customer collections must be by appointment.

However, curbs on walk-in food takeaway will not be rescinded for a further three weeks, even though the restrictions were introduced at the same time as those on click and collect in mid-January.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers are working hard to prepare for reopening and to maintain a safe shopping experience, and shoppers themselves can play their part by adhering to the rules on face-coverings, social distancing, and queuing, and by being respectful of shop staff.”

The research comes as Business Live publisher Reach launches a £1m support package for businesses to help them get back in touch with customers as the coronavirus lockdown begins to lift.

The #BackForGood campaign is the biggest regional editorial and commercial initiative of its kind to date being offered to thousands of businesses by the UK’s largest news publisher.

Reach is offering the first 10,000 companies who supply their details to the new #BackforGood directory a free InYourArea business membership for one year worth a total of £1m.

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