Greggs preps return to action after coronavirus shutdown

Greggs is set to reopen 20 stores on 4th May.

A ‘controlled trial’ will take place over two weeks in the Newcastle area. Only takeaways and deliveries will be offered and there will be shorter trading hours and a limited product range.

Greggs is the latest bricks and mortar retailer to explore reopening its stores during the coronavirus outbreak. Homebase did so with 20 of its locations on Saturday.

John Lewis, meanwhile, is drawing up a blueprint that it will be ready to activate within weeks.

Andrew Murphy, John Lewis Partnership's Executive Director of Operations who has led the strategy, has stressed that the company would wait for a signal from the government and health chiefs before triggering the operation.

He revealed that John Lewis is “modelling for scenarios where different sizes of shops are able to open at different points in time… That seems to us to be reasonably likely. Even in a scenario where we are theoretically able to open all our shops on the first day, we wouldn't do that. We would open in a minimum of three tranches.”

And Timpson is also returning to action. “Now we’re allowed to reopen our shops inside supermarkets we are coming out of hibernation in 40 shops next week as a trial,” Chief Executive James Timpson said on Twitter.

“We’ve been working hard to ensure shops are safe for our colleagues and customers, and social distancing works. Pods and High St to remain closed for now.”