McDonald's, Primark, IKEA and Poundland among major chains making announcements ahead of June 15
Including McDonald's Drive Thru branches and Primark stores
by Alex GreenBoris Johnson announced this week that non essential retail stores could reopen from June 15 so we've put together a list of the biggest chains around Devon and Cornwall that will once again welcome customers back in store.
The announcement on March 23 that all non essential stores must close saw some of the biggest and most popular retailers drop their shutters, and most have remained closed throughout lockdown - with the exception of a select few stores that were deemed 'essential' enough to remain open.
From June 15, some of the country's biggest retailers could reopen their doors to customers for the first time since lockdown.
Stores reopening in June will have to make major changes in order to allow safe shopping, and government ministers have stressed that the date could change if reductions in coronavirus infections fail to meet expectations.
Here's a list of the stores that are set to welcome customers back in-store:.
Primark
The High Street giant has branches all over the country, including in Plymouth, Exeter, Truro, Barnstaple and Torquay, to name a few.
Primark has not yet confirmed what date it will start to reopen shops, but it has set out what the rules for staff and customers will be.
The latest Government guidance for reopening clothes shops includes closing fitting rooms and ensuring clothes which have been touched or tried on by customers are taken off sale for up to 72 hours.
A Primark spokesman said: "Nothing matters more to us than the health and wellbeing of our employees and customers. That is why we will only re-open our stores in the UK once we are convinced that it is safe and right to do so.
"We are closely following all safety advice from government and will treat this as the minimum standard across all our stores.
"We will put in place rigorous health and safety measures including a strict social distancing protocol, providing personal protection for employees and customers and increased in-store cleaning.
"Of course, this is uncharted territory for us and our high street neighbours, which is why we will continuously monitor our re-openings and our health and safety policies to ensure we are doing the best we can to help protect our people and customers, as we all continue to adapt to the new normal.”
Ikea
Homewares giant Ikea closed its doors, despite being allowed to remain trading as an “essential” retailer, to protect staff and customers.
However, Ikea did turn over two of its car parks to the NHS to be used as COVID-19 drive-through testing sites.
It also kept the Swedish Food Court open for essential workers.
Ikea's Exeter branch, which sees people travelling from all over Devon and Cornwall to visit, will reopen in June.
Bosses announced a week ago it would reopen 19 stores in England and Northern Ireland from June 1, with a series of safety measures, including distancing wardens to patrol stores and reduced customers, while cafes and play areas will remain shut.
McDonald's
The fast food giant McDonald's announced just today that following the successful reopening of 44 pilot restaurants, it would continue its reopening process by opening every Drive Thru branch in the UK and Ireland.
This means that the numerous Drive Thru branches across Devon and Cornwall will reopen their lanes, however it has not yet been specified when specific branches will open, just that it all branches will reopen by June 4.
McDonald's told us that it will also start to expand the availability of McDelivery.
A McDonald's spokesperson said: "We can today announce that by 4th June, 1019 of our restaurants will have reopened, either for Drive Thru or McDelivery.
"This means every Drive Thru in the UK and Ireland will reopen between Tuesday and Thursday next week and we will start to expand the availability of McDelivery too.
"This is only possible following the hard work of the teams in our 44 pilot restaurants. Over the last fortnight, our employees, franchisees and suppliers have worked tirelessly to implement new procedures to enable safe working so that we can now help all parts of the UK and Ireland to enjoy the return of the Big Mac."
McDonald's has confirmed that while Drive Through branches will reopen, things may look "a little different" as safety and hygiene measures will be in place to protect staff and customers.
"With fewer employees working in our kitchens and service areas, our teams will still need your patience and support as they continue to adjust to the new ways of working," a spokesperson said.
They added: "Face coverings, gloves, Perspex screens and new safety and hygiene processes mean it will look different, it will take a little longer and as we have seen in the pilot restaurants, we expect demand will be high. Please bear with us, we will continue to put our people first – their safety is our priority.
"In the last week, on occasion, we have taken the decision to close Drive Thru lanes where demand has impacted local communities or the safety of our people or customers. We will continue to work with local authorities and the police as we extend our reopening plans. With smaller teams, we will still be offering a limited menu over reduced hours, and we ask that you make contactless payments and limit your spend to £25.
"We are continuing to review these measures as we reopen, but for now, these restrictions remain in place to help our employees, customers and delivery partner couriers to remain safe. To manage the anticipated demand, we will release the locations of the reopening restaurants on the morning of each day."
Fraser's Group
Mike Ashley’s retail empire, which includes Sports Direct and House of Fraser, has stores all over Devon and Cornwall, with a House of Fraser branch in Plymouth, and Sports Direct branches in St Austell, Truro, and Penzance, as well as Exeter and Plymouth.
Mr Ashley had told staff he was planning a June 1 reopening, although that will now have to be delayed until at least June 15.
He also confirmed staff would get 100% of their salary for May – including those on casual contracts or furloughed.
Salaries for senior management were reduced. The tycoon faced criticism at the start of the crisis for claiming Sports Direct stores were allowed to stay open during lockdown because they were “essential” to keeping the nation fit and active.
Poundland
The retailer, which has branches dotted across both counties, announced on the same day as the Government update that it would reopen 26 of its stores which have been closed throughout the coronavirus outbreak.
It means 51 stores will be open to customers by the end of the week, having closed around 100 in March.
The reopened stores will have “robust” health and safety measures in place like all the stores that have remained open, it added, with door marshals, floor markers to help maintain social distancing, screens at checkouts and no self-checkouts.
Waterstones
Popular bookseller Waterstones has branches across the region, including one in Drake Circus in Plymouth, as well as stores in Barnstaple, Truro, and many more.
Waterstones has said it will put books into a precautionary 72-hour quarantine after they are handled by customers who do not subsequently make a purchase, in one of the more unusual reopening measures.
Staff will ask shoppers to leave any book they touch on trolleys to be wheeled into storage for at least three days. Screens, customer limits and one-way systems will be in place but cafes will remain closed.
Halfords
Halfords has announced it will be opening stores in Plymouth and Exeter, however no specific date has been announced yet.
Halfords is set to reopen 53 stores to welcome back customers as bosses said they have seen a surge in bike sales since the Government relaxed lockdown rules and encouraged commuting that avoids public transport.
The stores spread across the country will allow a limited number of shoppers through its doors under a model bosses want to call “Retail Lite”.
Halfords has been allowed to remain open throughout the global pandemic and subsequent lockdown, classed as an “essential” business.
The decision comes a day after the Government said most non-essential retailers could reopen from June 15, although the announcement was overshadowed by the Dominic Cummings scandal engulfing the Prime Minister.
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.
In addition to its retail stores, Halfords currently has 346 of its 373 garages and 77 vans operating under a contactless model.
It is likely that in the coming days and weeks, there will be further announcements from other stores that will begin to reopen from June 15, as the full list of retailers that have been permitted to do so includes a wide variety of stores.
Here is the full list that can be open from June 15, although some are already allowed to be open:
– Food retailers
– Chemists
– Hardware/homeware stores
– Fashion shops
– Charity shops
– Betting shops and arcades
– Tailors, dress fitters and fashion designers
– Car dealerships
– Auction houses
– Antique stores
– Retail art galleries
– Photography studios
– Gift shops and retail spaces in theatres, museums, libraries, heritage sites and tourism sites
– Mobile phone stores
– Indoor and outdoor markets
– Craft fairs
– Similar types of retail