Retail industry responds to PM’s conditional plan to ease lockdown

The retail industry has reacted to the prime minister’s announcement last night that outlined a ‘conditional’ to ease lockdown with stores possibly reopening sometime in June.

Last night (10 May), Boris Johnson gave a prospective outline for a series of phased store reopenings next month if certain conditions of a new “Covid alert system” are met. The new system will be put in place in England to track the virus and will use a scale of one to five with the alert level determined primarily by the ‘R number’ and the number of coronavirus cases.

The government is set to provide more detailed guidance later today when the PM will speak in parliament.

Responding to the announcement, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Helen Dickinson said that while “further clarity” is needed it “shares” the view that safety is most important when determining when stores should reopen.

She said: “We share the view of the prime minister that safety is what counts when determining when shops can reopen. Already retailers around the country are working on plans for reopening safely and with all necessary social distancing measures in place.

“The BRC and Usdaw have supported this process with our own social distancing guidance, learning from the experiences of thousands of supermarkets and other essential retailers. It is vital that the reopening of stores is based on who can do so safely, as opposed to trying to draw lines in terms of different sizes or types of shop.”

She added: “Further clarity is needed in the coming days and we look forward to more details from the Government. We need a plan for shopping as well as shops – this means a plan that allows safe navigation both to and through our retail centres – and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the Government to support this process.”

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the CBI, added that the plan offers the “first glimmer of light” for the economy.

She said: “This announcement marks the start of a long process. While stopping work was necessarily fast and immediate, restarting will be slower and more complex. It must go hand-in-hand with plans for schools, transport, testing and access to PPE. Firms will want to see a roadmap, with dates they can plan for.

“Success will rest on flexibility within a framework: clear guidance which firms can adapt for their particular circumstances. Financial support will also need to evolve for sectors moving at different speeds – some remaining in hibernation, while others get ready to open safely.”

She added: “The coming weeks should see business, government and employee representatives working together as part of a national effort built on openness and trust. This is the only way to revive the UK economy and protect both lives and livelihoods.”