When are shops opening again and which stores will be included?

NON-ESSENTIAL shops will be able to reopen from Monday, June 15 as Brits slowly ease out of lockdown. Clothes, toy and betting shops in England can open again from Monday, the Business Secretary Alok Sharma said earlier this week. It comes nearly three months after business were forced to close their doors to stop the […]

NON-ESSENTIAL shops will be able to reopen from Monday, June 15 as Brits slowly ease out of lockdown.

Clothes, toy and betting shops in England can open again from Monday, the Business Secretary Alok Sharma said earlier this week.

It comes nearly three months after business were forced to close their doors to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Several businesses were able to continue trading online after the lockdown.

However, some businesses have since filed for administration, including Bright House, Debenhams and Quiz.

Which sectors can reopen on June 15?

Up until recently, only pharmacies, food shops, garages, petrol stations, restaurants and cafes (with delivery options only) and post offices were the only retail places that were allowed to open.

But after a consistent drop in cases, the government said it is now safer to reopen the following stores:

• 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

Outdoor attractions such as zoos, drive-in cinemas and safari parks will also be allowed to open.

Place of worship will be allowed to open for individual prayer.

Mr Sharma added that pubs, hairdressers and restaurants are still on track to reopen from July 4.

Meanwhile some retailers have already been given the green-light to reopen though, such as outdoor markets, car showrooms and homeware stores.

Which retailers will be opening that day?

What time will they be opening and closing?

Some shops have adjust their timings 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 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.

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.

We’ve been given a sneak preview of what certain shops will look like once they have reopened next week.

Coral let The Sun into one of its betting shops to see what branches will look like when it opens its doors next week – and it’s erected sneeze screens.

While JD Sports has given staff anti-bac sprays to help keep shoes germ free.

Wetherspoons also gave an insight into how it will operate once its reopens in July.