I’ve been a huge fan of apocalyptic films and TV shows since I was a teenager. With Covid-19 we seem to have come the closest to life imitating fiction with just as many twists in the tale.

There may not be any zombies, but stark images of deserted streets, sombre warnings to stay at home, empty shops and tales of fights over paracetamol and hand sanitiser could easily be scenes from a dystopian epic and retailers have a starring role.

As is often the case in times of national strife, food stores are being relied upon to keep the country moving. If people can’t eat they can’t work, and they certainly can’t survive a potentially deadly infection.

“Government loans are poor medicine. Even if they are graciously interest-free, they still have to be paid back eventually”

Amid an ongoing rout on the high street, there’s a particularly cruel irony now that some retailers are having to actively discourage eager customers. And what will be the impact on future revenues of this massive spike in sales when consumers have a year’s supply of toilet rolls to get through before they need to do another big shop? On the other hand, consumer confidence in buying everything under one roof has taken a knock, perhaps inspiring a resurgence of the corner shop.

The internet, previously vilified for destroying the high street, may now become its saviour by providing a vital alternative to face-to-face shopping. Where once a lack of human contact was regarded as a shortcoming, it’s now a government requirement.

The same government, which traditionally cocked a deaf ear to pleas for some tangible support, has been rudely shaken into action. The theme of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s speech last week was “whatever it takes”. The trouble is, no government has ever really understood what it takes to be a retailer.

Solid guarantee

Government loans are poor medicine. Even if they are graciously interest-free, they still have to be paid back eventually. They simply put off the evil moment when a yawning gap in cash flow has to be addressed after a period of little or nothing through the tills.

In terms of grants offered by the chancellor, why are they yet again contingent on rateable value? Moreover, how quickly will they be exhausted by ongoing rent and other overheads if the crisis persists? Rather than ad hoc handouts, we need a solid guarantee that all these costs will be covered for as long as it takes.

Despite reassurances, I still doubted retailers that closed voluntarily would have been able to claim on their business interruption insurance, forcing many to choose between health concerns or financial ruin. Boris Johnson’s latest announcement that shops will be compelled to close may at least deal with that, but it was long overdue.

“Once this crisis is over and we all return to what passes for normal, will consumers take retailers so much for granted?”

The loosening of competition rules was a prudent move, but with laid off staff moving to work in other stores and industries there’s no knowing if they’ll return when the crisis ends. Ideally, any promises from the government to cover staff wages should include the caveat that they revert to their previous employers afterwards.

The impact on the gig economy and the single self-employed, which includes thousands of shopkeepers, has so far been sidestepped. While there is speculation that this will be addressed in the coming days, the devil will be in the detail.

But at least we finally have an answer to the question I’ve posed for many years over what it will take for the government to finally lift the onerous burden of business rates from retailer’s shoulders – apparently, it’s nothing short of the apocalypse.

Once this crisis is over and we all return to what passes for normal, will consumers take retailers so much for granted? Judging by the stories of abuse many shop staff have had to endure, it would seem so. But it would be good to see the government finally giving retailers the respect and support they deserve. Or would that really be the end of the world?