Brits happy with retailer coronavirus efforts

53% of Brits feel that retailers are doing enough to protect the public from coronavirus, with only 9% disagreeing, according to research from the BRC and Opinium.

2,001 people were surveyed. 15% said they intended to visit shops to browse, up from 13% prior to England and Northern Ireland’s reopening. Those who intended to do so for necessary items also rose from 44% to 53%. Those who would avoid if possible a trip to their local high street or shopping centre dropped from 38% to 28%.

Respondents feeling comfortable about making purchases in-store rose to 64% for groceries (18% uncomfortable) while non-groceries fell slightly to 39% (15% uncomfortable). This compared to 63% (20% uncomfortable) for groceries and 41% (17% uncomfortable) for non-groceries the previous week.

Visits to larger supermarkets remained at 66% of respondents, while local convenience stores rose to 50%. Pharmacies and DIY stores fell slightly to 33% and 23% respectively.

The most popular safety measures in stores remained compulsory hand sanitising (38%), one-way systems (36%) and regular cleaning (35%). On the wearing of masks, 60% of respondents either currently do so or intend to. This compares to 70% last week. The proportion who said they are not wearing masks rose from 29% to 40%.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, says: “Thousands of retailers opened their doors for the first time in months, and shoppers enjoyed visiting many stores they had been missing. Retailers will be reassured by polling showing that almost six times as many people agreed that retailers were doing enough to protect the public as disagreed.”

“Nonetheless, retailers must continue to work hard to ensure everyone has the confidence to visit their local high street. Shops and jobs depend on the ongoing support by the public. While the initial burst of enthusiasm is welcomed, the coming weeks and months will determine the future of our high streets for years to come,” she concludes.