Halfords to fully reopen to customers in Dundee – but don’t handle the products
Halfords in Dundee is preparing to reopen to customers after a successful trial of physical-distancing measures on its shop floors.
by Rob McLarenA date hasn’t been set for the Kingsway Retail Park branch to fully reopen to customers, but it will be among the first wave of the bike and car parts retailer’s shops to open again.
The decision to reopen 53 stores was taken a day after the UK Government said most non-essential retailers could reopen from June 15.
New rules include reduced customers, queuing marshals, safety notices and floor markings, sneeze screen visors for staff and instructions to customers not to handle or try on products.
Chief executive Graham Stapleton said: “There has been a big surge in demand for our bike products and services as people have taken to cycling during the lockdown, both for commuting and for fun.
“We are also anticipating a similar level of demand for our motoring products and services in the coming days, as people begin to use vehicles again that in some cases will have been off the road for many weeks.”
Halfords has been operating 335 of its 446 retail shops, including Dundee, under a ‘dark store’ model during the lockdown.
This has meant customers have been unable to browse and instead have been placing orders with Halfords staff outside the front of the store.
The firm said it had seen a surge in bike sales since the Government relaxed lockdown rules and encouraged commuting that avoids public transport.
In addition to its retail stores, Halfords currently has 346 of its 373 garages and 77 vans operating under a contactless model.
Stores reopening:
Aintree
Ashford
Aylesbury
Basingstoke
Bedford
Braintree
Cambridge
Chatham
Chelmsford
Chester
Colchester
Cribbs Causeway
Doncaster
Dundee
Eastbourne
Edinburgh – Straiton
Exeter
Fareham
Frome
Gloucester
Hamilton
Harlow
Hemel Hempstead
Hereford
High Wycombe
Huddersfield
Inverness
Ipswich Euro
Leamington Spa
Leicester, St Margarets
Lincoln, Tritton
Liverpool, Edge Lane
Maidstone
Milton Keynes
New Malden
Newport
North Shields
Norwich
Peterborough
Plymouth
Poole
Preston
Sheffield, Queens
Stevenage
Stirling
Stockport
Swindon
Taunton
Telford
Thanet
Wakefield
Yeovil
York
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