By Retailers welcome back customers after three months
Shops in England selling non-essential items are welcoming customers back today, after they have been permitted to reopen for the first time in almost three months.
Hundreds of people have already been seen joining queues outside major stores.
Retailers selling food and health items, alongside other essential storers have been open throughout lockdown.
Non-essential stores have been locked since 23 March.
The government has repeatedly said that they must meet a strict set of guidelines in order to keep shoppers and workers safe, but Boris Johnson has urged people to “shop with confidence”.
The Prime Minister has commissioned a review into the 2m social distancing rule, following calls to scrap it.
Some of Mr Johnson’s own MPs have warned that large parts of the hospitality industry will not be viable with the 2m coronavirus rule in place.
The review will aim to be completed by 4 July, when pubs and restaurants could open at the earliest in England.
Mr Johnson added that he was “very optimistic” about stores reopening, although acknowledged that retailers did not know whether there will be a “huge wave of customers” or a “trickle”.
Earlier this morning queues were already building outside major stores such as Primark, forcing some stores to open early.
In Lincoln’s, the first person joining the line outside Primark at 05:00.
This comes as the government make wearing face coverings on public transport compulsory from today.
However, face coverings in shops will not be mandatory.
Retailers are hoping that the introduction of an array of other safety measures will be sufficient.
Many have installed perspex screens at their counters, and introduced one-way systems.
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