Halfords to open 53 'Retail Lite' stores as it welcomes shoppers after 10 week lockdown

Halfords is set to reopen 53 stores across the country with extensive social distancing measures in place under a new model called "Retail Lite".

The reopenings follow successful trials at stores in Peterborough and Bristol Cribbs Causeway stores and will allow shoppers to physically enter branches for the first time since March.

Around 335 of Halfords' 446 stores have remained open since the start of the pandemic, after it was named an essential retailer by the Government.

However, customers were banned from browsing and instead told to place orders through Halfords colleagues outside the front of stores.

While the majority of Halfords' branches will continue to operate as so-called 'dark stores' for the time being, there are plans to gradually convert and reopen them under the new "Retail Lite" model.

This will allow shoppers to enter stores, though a limited number will be allowed in at a time.

It said all branches will have a cleaning station at the front of all stores, with supplies of hand sanitiser and wipes.

There will be 'sneeze screens' and visors for colleagues and customers will be told to not touch items.

Shoppers will also be asked to book bike consultation and collection slots online or over the phone in advance, wherever possible.

"We are pleased to be in a position to start letting our customers back into our stores," chief executive of Halfords, Graham Stapleton, said.

"However, we are going to be reopening them to our customers gradually and cautiously in order to be absolutely certain that our colleagues and customers have a safe environment in which to work and shop."

In addition to its retail stores, Halfords currently has 346 of its 373 garages, and 77 vans, operating under a contactless model.

The chain is also launching a free Road Ready Car Check, which is a 30-minute service covering tyre depth, tyre inflation, battery health, headlights and brake lights, screen wash, AdBlue, coolant and oil levels for Brits returning to work.

Stores reopening under Retail Lite

Inverness

Stirling

Dundee

Edinburgh - Straiton

Hamilton

Preston

York

North Shields

Stockport

Aintree

Liverpool, Edge Lane

Huddersfield

Wakefield

Doncaster

Sheffield, Queens

Chester

Telford

Leicester, St Margarets

Newport

Gloucester

Hereford

Leamington Spa

Cribbs Causeway

Frome

Swindon

Poole

Basingstoke

Fareham

Plymouth

Exeter

Yeovil

Taunton

Peterborough

Lincoln, Tritton

Norwich

Ipswich Euro

Chelmsford

Braintree

Cambridge

Colchester

Aylesbury

Milton Keynes

Stevenage

Bedford

Hemel Hempstead

Harlow

High Wycombe

New Malden

Eastbourne

Maidstone

Ashford

Thanet

Chatham