Queues in front of retail shops in England
Shoppers rushed back to the High Street on Monday as non-essential retailers in England and Wales reopened after more than three months.
As of 3pm, High Street footfall had more than doubled from a week earlier, as queues formed outside branches of Primark, JD Sports and TK Maxx and retailers extended their opening hours.
Beauty salons, barbers and pub gardens also reported a surge in bookings. But it is unclear if the demand will last as shops try to recoup lost sales.
Shoppers began queuing at 7am at Primark shops in London’s Oxford Street and Birmingham as the fashion retailer reopened 161 stores across the country.
Like others it is extending its open hours from 7am to 10pm to help prevent crowding in stores.
Primark boss Paul Marchant said: “We have been working really hard to get our stores ready to open safely; we are fully stocked with everything our customers have been waiting for.
“We ask our customers to continue supporting us and be mindful of our in-store measures, in particular if queuing outside and in-store.”
There were also queues outside Selfridges in London and Birmingham, TK Maxx in Cardiff and JD Sports in Newcastle.
Amanda Philips, retail manager of the Moor shopping area in Sheffield, said it had been so busy it was like “an old fashioned Saturday in 2019”.
“The sun is shining which always brings people out. We’ve been desperate to get outside and get a bit of retail therapy. The kids are still off school, it’s half term,” she told the BBC.
Hospitality venues, including restaurants, museums, theme parks and zoos, have also been welcoming people back, as well as gyms, swimming pools and spas.
Blink Brow Bar, a beauty salon chain with 21 outlets, said it had seen lots of “pent-up demand” ahead of Monday.
