There was a joyful sense of release on Monday when, after three months of lockdown darkness, so-called non-essential shops reopened.

The Retail Week team was out on the ground to gauge reaction in Bluewater, London’s West End and York, and it was clear everywhere that people embraced the chance to visit stores again and enjoy outside eating and drinking.

John Lewis Oxford Street with shoppers wearing Covid masks carrying shopping bags

Queues at stores such as Primark and H&M of course partly reflected ongoing Covid-19 safety measures and the need to manage capacity inside, but the fact consumers were willing to line up was a testament to how much retail had been missed.

There were plenty of young people waiting to get into shops such as JD Sports and Foot Locker, too – a reminder that, although they purchase more online than their predecessors, youngsters enjoy bricks-and-mortar shopping just as much as their elders.

Early footfall numbers give grounds for optimism. Shopper traffic monitor Springboard reported that on reopening day numbers were down 16% versus the same Monday in 2019. That is quite a result – “amazingly positive”, in the words of Springboard’s Diane Wehrle – and hugely encouraging as retailers seek to rebuild trade so disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

That overall footfall number of course masks differences between locations. Central London was down 56% compared to 2019, while market towns outperformed with a decline of just 6.8%. 

“There is much for retailers to look forward to as the year unfolds, but they can’t take anything for granted”

That shows the extent of ground to be made up by some of what were the biggest retail destinations, such as the capital’s prime Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street locations. The New West End Company is doing good work to enhance the district’s appeal and tap into the potential rise in importance of places where people live. The extent to which working from home persists may ultimately fundamentally reshape shopping habits, which will no doubt spur retail innovation in locations of all types.

An early retail bounceback, welcome as it is, was always likely as people were released from lockdown. After an initial spending splurge, the likelihood is that consumers will revert to more typical spending. How Monday’s early enthusiasm translates into longer-term demand will shape the development and success of bricks-and-mortar retail from here on in.

As Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy cautioned as he issued full-year results today: “We expect some of the additional sales volumes we have gained this year in our core UK market to fall away as Covid-19 restrictions ease.”

That is partly because of the extraordinary levels of demand during the crisis, when grocers continued to trade while other retailers could not. Much of that demand was for food, but customers could also get products such as homewares and clothing, too, at a time when apparel specialists could only operate online. The latest BRC monthly sales data showed “significant decline” in eight of 13 categories analysed, including clothing.

JD Sports executive chair Peter Cowgill who, like Murphy, delivered strong results this week, observed: “We feel slightly bitter about store closures… there were retailers allowed to continue selling clothing and footwear while we had to shut.”

That bitterness will no doubt be shared by others, but there is little point hand-wringing about the past. The point now for retailers once again able to trade is to make the most of it, and remind consumers of the qualities that make them stand out as specialists.

So what now for the rest of 2021?

The roadmap out of the pandemic is likely to help. Each month from now until late June, all being well, will bring further relaxation of restrictions, and each is likely to improve consumer confidence and readoption of former habits. 

And after the summer, the build-up to Christmas will soon come around. Last year, families and friends were unable to meet. That is likely to be reversed this time, and retailers will aim to reap the benefits as people celebrate reuniting around the tree.

So, fingers crossed, there is much for retailers to look forward to as the year unfolds, but they can’t take anything for granted. For those with stores, that means a laser focus on what makes shops special – from outstanding product to great service.

This week, after retail pioneer W Galen Weston died, his daughter Alannah, the chair of Selfridges, recalled his ability “to reimagine what customer experience could be”. That skill will be called for now more than ever to power a bricks-and-mortars post-pandemic recovery.

Shoppers have shown their readiness to get back into shops. Now retailers need to make sure they give consumers plenty of reasons to return.

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