Stores in the U.K. Begin to Reopen From Today
But don’t touch anything you don’t plan to buy.
After being forced into closure for almost three months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, stores in the U.K. have slowly begun to reopen.
Selfridges and Harrods are among the retailers that will be open from today, along with a number of luxury stores in London’s New Bond Street. The London outpost of Dover Street Market has reopened on an appointment-only basis; customers can arrange a visit through the retailer’s website.
Supreme and Palace‘s Soho stores will remain closed, according to the latest update on the brands’ websites.
Updated government guidelines mean that all stores are permitted to open, though retailers have had to introduce strict social distancing guidelines. Fitting rooms and toilets will remain closed in most locations.
Customers are also being asked not to touch any items unless they intend to purchase them; some stores plan to “quarantine” items that are touched but not bought, while others will use ultraviolet boxes to quickly decontaminate items. Hand sanitisers will also be introduced in most larger stores.
Retailers are also required to introduce plastic screens at cashier desks, and floor markings to ensure that customers maintain a mandated 2m distance from one another.
In New York, where stores have already begun reopening, many retailers are grappling with how to adapt to the current climate.
