Everything shoppers will be banned from doing when stores reopen

Rules and restrictions will be in place for stores and shoppers

Everything shoppers will be banned from doing when stores reopen in June

Earlier this week the government announced that from June 1 non-essential shops will begin to reopen in the UK.

While many are keen to get back to the high street, the announcement was met with a mixed response, as many are worried about the health risks connected to stores reopening.

In order to reopen, shops will need to pass a risk assessment, as well as adhere to a list of rules and guidelines published by the government.

Shops and shoppers must follow these rules to keep everyone safe, reports the M.E.N.

Shops and shopping centres will have to limit the number of people inside at one time.

In stores, changing rooms will also be banned, meaning shoppers will no longer be allowed to try on clothes before buying them over fears of contamination.

Anyone wanting to try on shoes will need to wear disposable socks to do so.

Shoe giant Kurt Geiger has said that it will put footwear aside for 24 hours after a customer has tried anything on, while Waterstones says it will quarantine books for 72 hours after people have touched them.

According to the official government website, shops and shoppers must follow these guidelines:

1. Define the number of customers that can reasonably follow 2m social distancing within the store and any outdoor selling areas. Take into account total floorspace as well as likely pinch points and busy areas.
2. Limit the number of customers in the store, overall and in any particular congestion areas, for example doorways between outside and inside space
3. Encourage customers to use hand sanitiser or handwashing facilities as they enter the premises to reduce the risk of transmission by touching products while browsing.
4. Encourage customers to avoid handling products while browsing, if at all possible.
5. Suspend or reduce customer services that cannot be undertaken without contravening social distancing guidelines. This may include re-thinking how assistance is provided, for example, using fixed pairs of colleagues to lift heavy objects rather than a single colleague lifting with a customer
6. Encourage customers to shop alone where possible, unless they need specific assistance.
7. Remind customers who are accompanied by children that they are responsible for supervising them at all times and should follow social distancing guidelines.
8. Look at how people walk through the shop and how you could adjust this to reduce congestion and contact between customers, for example, queue management or one-way flow, where possible.
9. Ensure any changes to entries, exit and queue management take into account reasonable adjustments for those who need them, including disabled shoppers.
10. Work within your local area to provide additional parking or facilities such as bike racks, where possible, to help customers avoid using public transport.
11. Use outside premises for queuing where available and safe, for example some car parks.
12. Manage outside queues to ensure they do not cause a risk to individuals or other businesses, for example by introducing queuing systems, using barriers and having staff direct customers.
13. Shopping centres should take responsibility for regulating the number of customers in the centre and the queuing process in communal areas on behalf of their retail.
14. Clearly designate positions from which colleagues can provide advice or assistance to customers whilst maintaining social distance
15. Work with neighbouring businesses and local authorities to consider how to spread the number of people arriving throughout the day for example by staggering opening hours; this will help reduce demand on public transport at key times and avoid overcrowding.
16. Continue to keep customer restaurants and cafes closed until further notice, apart from when offering hot or cold food to be consumed off the premises.