Government releases full list of which shops can reopen and when
26 May 2020, 11:05 | Updated: 7 June 2023, 08:56
The Government has released a full list of what shops and business can reopen, and when, following an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
With the nation in coronavirus lockdown, many people have been asking when shops and business can start to reopen.
On Sunday Boris Johnson used a Downing Street press conference to announce outdoor markets and car showrooms will to be able to reopen from 1 June, as soon as they are able to meet the Government's Covid-19 secure guidelines to protect shoppers and workers.
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On Tuesday the Government released its full list of retailers that can reopen under new guidelines, with fashion stores, betting shops and charity stores all allowed to welcome back customers from June 15.
The PM said that he hoped to begin a phased reopening of shops by June 1 at the earliest. Some of the hospitality industry could reopen from July 1, he added.
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Which shops can reopen:
The full list that can be open from June 15, although some are already allowed to be open, includes:
- Food retailers
- Chemists
- Hardware/homeware stores
- Fashion shops
- Charity shops
- Betting shops and arcades
- Tailors, dress fitters and fashion designers
- Car dealerships
- 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
- Indoor and outdoor markets
- Craft fairs
- Similar types of retail
The guidance also applies to those currently open, including banks, post offices and other money businesses, it added.
Gift shops in museums, retail spaces in theatres, libraries, heritage sites and tourism sites will also be allowed to open - paving the way for visitors to return to tourist hotspots.
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On March 23, the Government said that only retailers deemed "essential" - which included supermarkets and grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, hardware stores, petrol stations, vets and pet stores, food markets and bike shops - could remain open.
Days after the original announcement, it confirmed that off-licences and other licensed shops selling alcohol, including those in breweries, could stay open.
Restaurants, pubs and cafes were all forced to shut their doors to customers as part of the lockdown, but remained able to serve takeaway food to customers in line with social distancing measures and deliver takeaways.
More recently, garden centres and estate agents were both given the go-ahead to reopen on May 13.
Before reopening, bosses must consider who is essential to be on the premises, plan for the minimum number of people needed on site and keep across the mental and physical wellbeing of staff.
