Will Brits return to high street if stores reopen in June?

Non-essential stores could be set to re-open from 1st June under new plans recently set out by the government.

But will Brits return to the high street if this happens? That was the question posed by Frances Bishop on Twitter this week. The owner of kidswear chain The Pud Store and former candidate on The Apprentice, held a poll in which 1,234 votes were cast. 62.2% voted ‘no, it’s too soon’, whilst 37.8 said ‘yes’.

Also of interest: Customer Service Action launches coronavirus focused shopper survey

“Yes if social distancing is in place like in supermarkets. (I go there so what's the difference ?) I think though you should just go for what you want pick it up leave no browsing just for a day out,” said Susan Williams.

“Yes absolutely, if it’s safe to do so! Need to support our business and peoples jobs! If scientific professionals say it’s safe then that’s good enough for me!” added Luke.

“Big risk!! Dangerous also! Nothing is safe until few months and thats if it goes down. Even if the shops do open no one will be going shopping at these times. They will be paranoid,” countered Kayas Irshad.

Whilst Craig Taylor commented: “The amount of money I've saved by not visiting high streets is unreal. This lockdown has taught me that I can live without a daily latte and other unnecessary bits. Think my spending habits will be changed for the foreseeable future. So in no rush to return.”

BRC responds

Responding to Boris Johnson’s aforementioned statement on coronavirus, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

“We share the view of the Prime Minister that safety is what counts when determining when shops can reopen. Already retailers around the country are working on plans for reopening safely and with all necessary social distancing measures in place.”

“The BRC and Usdaw have supported this process with our own social distancing guidance, learning from the experiences of thousands of supermarkets and other essential retailers. It is vital that the reopening of stores is based on who can do so safely, as opposed to trying to draw lines in terms of different sizes or types of shop.”

“Further clarity is needed in coming days and we look forward to more details from the government. We need a plan for shopping as well as shops – this means a plan that allows safe navigation both to and through our retail centres – and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the government to support this process.”