NON-ESSENTIAL shops in England are able to reopen from TODAY (Monday, June 15) as the UK slowly ease out of lockdown.
Clothes, toys and betting shops are among those that can open their doors once again, the Business Secretary Alok Sharma said last week.
It comes nearly three months after non-essential businesses were forced to close their doors to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Several retailers were able to continue trading online during lockdown, but even so it’s been tough for many.
Bright House, Debenhams and Quiz are among the high street chains to file for administration over the past few months.
Which shops can reopen today, June 15?
Up until recently, only pharmacies, food shops, garages, petrol stations, restaurants and cafes (with delivery options only) and Post Offices were the only retail outlets allowed to open.
Only recently some retailers, such as outdoor markets, car showrooms and homeware stores, have been given the green-light and are now open.
But after a consistent drop in coronavirus cases, the government confirmed last week it is now safe to reopen the following stores from today, June 15:
- Fashion shops
- Charity shops
- Betting shops and arcades
- Tailors, dress fitters and fashion designers
- Auction houses
- Antique stores
- Retail art galleries
- Photography studios
- Gift shops and retail spaces in theatres, museums, libraries, heritage sites and tourism sites
- Mobile phone stores
- Craft fairs
See the box below for a full list of retailers that have confirmed they’ll reopen from this week.
Outdoor attractions such as zoos, drive-in cinemas and safari parks will also be allowed to open, while places of worship will be allowed to open for individual prayer.
Mr Sharma added that pubs, hairdressers and restaurants are still on track to reopen from July 4.
What time will stores open and close?
Some shops have adjusted their opening and closing hours to make sure there is enough time for sanitising and restocking the shelves.
Before you leave home make sure you’ve checked your local branch’s opening times.
We have linked to each retailer’s store locator tool in the box above.
What do shops have to do to make sure they can reopen safely?
Shops must carry out a health and safety check before reopening to make sure they are abiding by guidelines set out by the government to slow down the spread of coronavirus.
The checks include strict social distancing, which may mean fewer customers will be able to visit the shops in one go, as well as one-way systems throughout stores.
Hand sanitiser stations for staff and customers will need to be installed, and returned items will need to be quarantined for 72 hours.
Staggering times for click and collect orders will need to be adopted and retailers will also need to frequently clean objects and surfaces that are touched regularly.
These include surfaces such as self-checkouts, trolleys, coffee machines and betting terminals.
People are also discouraged from picking up different items and putting them back.
Changing rooms are also going to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
Shops have been told they will face punishments if they break the rules.
We’ve been given a sneak preview of what certain shops will look like once they have reopened.
