While the guidance states “it is not clear when the non-food retail sector will reopen for business”, both the BRC and Usdaw have said that retailers “need to be ready” to reopen with virus control restrictions in place.

Much like supermarkets and pharmacies, the guidance recommends that retailers will need to implement social distancing both in and around stores – including on the shopfloor and till areas, as well as in changing rooms, customer seating areas, cafes and toilets.

The guidance also gives advice around protecting colleagues, noting that, while the government advice is clear that personal protective equipment is only necessary for those working in “clinical situations”, it is “good practice to supply masks or visors and gloves to those who request them”.