SHOPS FEAR A ‘FATAL' FOURTH LOCKDOWN

HIGH street shops across England and Wales have warned another lockdown could prove fatal as they prepare to reopen next week.

- Jon Coates

Retailers say they “cannot wait” to open their doors and start to bounce back from the pandemic.

After being closed for nine of the past 12 months, non- essential shops are welcoming back customers a week tomorrow, and recovery hopes are high among business leaders.

Some retailers are planning to open seven days a week while others may take advantage of extended hours from 7am-10pm.

Most shops reopen two weeks later in Scotland, with no date yet set for Northern Ireland. But bosses warn that any more national shutdowns this year could break their businesses. Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, said: “We all want this to be the last lockdown as any retailer that has survived the past 12 months has probably used every ounce of that energy and enthusiasm, and financial resources, to get here.

“So any more lockdowns this year could be absolutely fatal for them.”

Andrew predicts a “great year” if the reopening goes well on April 12. He said: “After one of the worst years, this could be one of the best years.

“People are being asked to stay in the country and not go away, so you get even more expenditure back into the UK economy.

“We want to see people spending on the high street again and not just in shops, in cafes and in hospitality, because shopping alone won’t sustain high streets.”