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Which shops are open today? Charity, betting and toy stores reopened
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NON-ESSENTIAL shops in England were able to reopen on Monday, June 15 as the UK continues to ease out of lockdown.
Clothes, toys and betting shops are among those that can open their doors once again, the Business Secretary Alok Sharma said last week.
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It came nearly three months after non-essential businesses were forced to close their doors to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Several retailers were able to continue trading online during lockdown, but even so it's been tough for many.
Bright House, Debenhams and Quiz are among the high street chains to file for administration over the past few months.
Which shops reopened on June 15?
Up until recently, pharmacies, food shops, garages, petrol stations, restaurants, cafes (with delivery options only) and Post Offices were the only retail outlets allowed to open.
Last month, some retailers, such as outdoor markets, car showrooms and homeware stores, were given the green-light and are now open.
But after a consistent drop in coronavirus cases, the government confirmed last week it is now safe to reopen the following stores from today, June 15:
- Fashion shops
- Charity shops
- Betting shops and arcades
- Tailors, dress fitters and fashion designers
- 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
- Craft fairs
See the box below for a full list of retailers that have confirmed they are reopening this week.
Outdoor attractions such as zoos, drive-in cinemas and safari parks have also been allowed to open, while places of worship can be allowed to open for individual prayer.
Mr Sharma added that pubs, hairdressers and restaurants are still on track to reopen from July 4.
The shops that will be reopening their doors
THESE are the retailers that have confirmed they will be reopening stores from mid-June:
What time will stores open and close?
Some shops have adjusted their opening and closing hours to make sure there is enough time for sanitising and restocking the shelves.
Before you leave home make sure you've checked your local branch's opening times.
We have linked to each retailer's store locator tool in the box above.
What do shops have to do to make sure they can reopen safely?
Shops must carry out a health and safety check before reopening to make sure they are abiding by guidelines set out by the government to slow down the spread of coronavirus.
The checks include strict social distancing, which may mean fewer customers will be able to visit the shops in one go, as well as one-way systems throughout stores.
Hand sanitiser stations for staff and customers will need to be installed, and returned items will need to be quarantined for 72 hours.
Staggering times for click and collect orders will need to be adopted and retailers will also need to frequently clean objects and surfaces that are touched regularly.
These include surfaces such as self-checkouts, trolleys, coffee machines and betting terminals.
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People are also discouraged from picking up different items and putting them back.
Changing rooms are also going to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
Shops have been told they will face punishments if they break the rules.
COVID-19 Secure
BEFORE non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen they must ensure that:
- Individuals are able to keep their distance from people outside of their households,
- They're reducing the risk of transmission by limiting the number of people that individuals come into contact with,
- Changing shift patterns to reduce the number of people in the office at one time,
- Keeping workspaces ventilated
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