RETAIL ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

Yesterday the Prime Minister said outdoor markets and car showrooms can re-open from 1 June 2020.

If the Government’s five tests are met, thousands of other “non-essential” high street shops department stores and shopping centres across England can reopen on 15 June 2020

Businesses will only be able to open from these dates once they have completed a risk assessment and are confident they are managing the risks. They must be COVID-19 secure in line with the current Health and Safety legislation.

Guidance in relation to shops can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/shops-and-branches

In anticipation of these changes, I attended an interesting on-line panel discussion on the retail sector hosted by Joe Manning from Marketing Cheshire / Cheshire & Warrington LEP today.

Carl Critchlow, the MD of CH1 Chester BID Company, says that as we start to unlock it will initially be locals that get attracted back to Chester City centre. The challenges include cleansing of public areas and how transport in, out and around the city centre may need to adapt.

Jane Hough, speaking for  Northwich BID 2, picked up themes of local distinctiveness and how resilient and innovate smaller businesses have become during the lockdown period.

Also on the panel was Kenny Murray from McArthur Glen. He is the centre manger of one of the region’s biggest retail draws – the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet. That business has been learning lessons from easing of restrictions in other countries where it operates. There will be many challenges in re-opening a large centre including parking and queuing arrangements. Business will have to remain agile to such challenges.

As the panel discussed in a question and answer session, whilst online retailing is all about the convenience, shopping in real life is about the experience. There is a pent up demand out there but it will be changed retail environment after lockdown.