The government has announced that all non-essential shops may open for trading from June 15. Retail Week tracks what retailers are planning to do in the new socially distanced world. Last updated on June 12.

Argos has launched digital stores in Sainsbury's

Argos

Owner Sainsbury’s is beginning a phased reopening of some Argos standalone stores from June 15. The retailer said it would be prioritising those stores in locations where customers could not easily access as Sainsbury’s supermarket. 

All Argos stores will continue to operate as click and collect only sites, with the aim to reintroduce in-store shopping “in the coming weeks”. 

Argos staff “will be following social distancing guidelines at all times, including when they collect items from the warehouse and bring them to the collection counter”, which the retailer warned could lead to delays.  

Beaverbrooks

Beaverbrooks

Beaverbrooks plans to reopen all 70 of its UK stores on June 15. 

Each store will have a customer host at the door who will direct them to a screened waiting area until they are served. The jewellery retailer said it will allow shoppers to try on items and will disinfect them between wears. It also plans to offer limited stock, which will be rotated on a regular basis.

Beaverbrooks will allow appointments for the purchase of special items such as engagement rings but these will be reserved for the start and end of the day. 

Boots Glasgow

Boots

While Boots stores have been open throughout lockdown selling essential items, the health and beauty retailer plans to fully reopen all its services including beauty counters from June 15.

Boots said it will use its “learnings from the past eight weeks” to inform its new operations and safety measures. 

Card Factory

Card Factory

Card Factory plans to reopen 10% of its stores on June 15 in line with government guidance.

Clarks jpg

Clarks

Clarks announced that a “small number” of its stores will not reopen.

Debenhams

Debenhams

Debenhams will open 50 of its stores on June 15 with the rest opening over the following week. 

The struggling department store chain tumbled into administration for the second time in a year due to coronavirus and has confirmed that 17 of its stores will remain closed. Its remaining five stores are currently at risk.

Managing director Steven Cook said: “We are delighted to be welcoming customers back to our stores in the coming weeks. From the installation of perspex screens at till points to the roll-out of social distancing procedures and PPE, we have been working hard to ensure our colleagues and customers can work and shop with confidence. Our reopening plans follow the successful conclusion of lease negotiations on 120 stores, meaning that the vast majority of our stores will be reopening.”

Currys PC World Leeds

Dixons Carphone

Dixons plans to reopen its stores in phases, with 153 Currys PC World stores set to open on June 15. Some 42 stores will open fully, with a further 89 stores across England and Northern Ireland offering front of store trading. Twelve additional stores will open across Wales and Scotland, offering order and collect services.

Dixons will also offer a “zero-contact” drive-through model, where purchases can be delivered to a customer’s car without them having to leave the vehicle, and is implementing its ShopLive functionality, connecting shoppers at home to colleagues in-store via video chat.

Dreams fascia index

Dreams

Specialist retailer Dreams will be reopening stores in England from June 15. Customers will have to book appointments ahead of time, and the retailer has implemented a number of health and safety measures in-store. 

These include hand sanitiser and social distancing protocols, as well as single-use pillow and mattress protectors so that customers can still try out beds safely. 

Dreams said it would also be offering customers video consultations if they didn’t want to come into store. 

Dune

Dune

Dune will reopen all stores on June 15 in line with government guidelines. The shoe retailer will provide disposable pop socks for customers trying on shoes and will disinfect shoes and seating areas after each customer.

Sports Direct

Frasers Group

Frasers Group has announced that all Sports Direct, Flannels and Jack Wills stores in England will open from June 15.

Game soho arena

Game

Game has confirmed that all stores in England will reopen on June 15. It is, however, encouraging customers to use its click and collect service as the number of customers allowed in-store to browse will be very limited. 

gap fascia

Gap

Gap will reopen its doors on June 15 with up to 60% off sale items. It will also offer 40% off full-price items.

It has also implemented social distancing measures in-store.

Greggs coffee cup

Greggs

After a successful trial of branches in the North East, Greggs has confirmed plans to reopen 800 stores from mid-June. 

Halfords Derby  3

Halfords

Halfords has opened a further 100 stores after opening an initial 53 shops last week. a further 335 of Halfords 446-strong store estate had previously been operating as ‘dark stores’, which allow shoppers to place orders with colleagues at the store entrance but prohibit them from entering stores themselves.

Highcross Leicester  Hammerson 2

Hammerson

Hammerson’s flagship shopping destinations will fully reopen on June 15. 

Seven of the landlords’ eight retail parks have remained open throughout lockdown for essential retailers, but all will fully reopen in accordance with government guidelines from mid-June.

Hammerson said it will introduce a range of measures in its shopping centres to keep customers safe. Measures include one-way systems, communication through social media channels, digital signage and tannoys, and footfall monitoring to ensure there are not too many people in the centre at any one time.

Heals

Heal’s

Heal’s has started to reopen its stores including its flagship Tottenham Court Road store. it has reserved the first hour of trading for private appointments, and will also continue its video consultations. 

Customers wishing to try sitting on or using furniture will be offered disposable plastic sheets.

hmvVaultEdit_13

HMV

HMV will reopen 93 stores on June 15 with new personal shopping services in place.

The new “HMV List and Leave” service will enable customers to drop off a list of the items they wish to purchase and a member of the HMV team will select the items from the shelves and have goods collected, packed and ready for collection.

In addition, the “HMV Ring and Reserve” service will allow customers to call their local store to reserve in-stock items to be paid for and picked up later that day.

HMV has also redesigned its stores for social distancing.

Hotel Chocolat

Hotel Chocolat

Chocolate specialist Hotel Chocolat began a phased trial reopening of stores in early May, reopening six stores as takeaway cafes.

Chief executive Angus Thirlwell said the retailer would look to reopen self-standing independent and local high street stores first once the forced closure of non-essential retailers lifts from June 15.

Given restrictions on travel and the low likelihood that many consumers would want to mingle in large crowds in the near future, Thirlwell said Hotel Chocolat stores in travel hubs and shopping centres would be the last to reopen.

intu Victoria Centre entrance

Intu

On May 22, institutional landlord Intu outlined elevated social distancing and hygiene procedures for non-essential store occupiers across its 14 UK shopping centres.

Plans include placing limits on the number of people and cars allowed into centres at any one time by closing parking bays; introducing one-way systems around centres as well as floor stickers and increased staff training to enforce social distancing; both in common areas and in stores.

Centres will also have enhanced hygiene regimes with more deep cleaning of “key areas” and “touchpoints” such as escalators, toilets and keypads. Hand sanitiser stations will be placed at all entrances and other locations throughout the centres.

Ikea Reading fascia

Ikea

Ikea began reopening its UK stores with a phased approach from June 1. 

The furniture retailer has introduced new measures including one way systems and social distancing wardens to help guide customers around the store.

Its cafes will be open for takeaway food only.

JD Sports

JD Sports

JD Sports has confirmed it will reopen its doors on June 15. The retailer said it will open “as many [stores] as possible” with around 100 locations dependent on shopping centre landlord’s decisions.

John Lewis

John Lewis

John Lewis will open two of its stores on June 15 – Poole and Kingston-upon-Thames – before opening a further 11 on June 18.

The department store chain said it would be implementing a “raft of measures” it had used at partnership Waitrose stores, including introducing a ‘customer service host’ to manage the number of customers in-store, reducing the number of entrances, installing protective checkout screens, and limiting the number of users on escalators and in lifts.

The retailer said only opening a quarter of its stores initially was part of a “steady, gradual approach with rigorous safety and social distancing measures” in place, and highlighted that the stores it had chosen to open were primarily picked “because of their accessibility by car”.

Joules

Joules

Joules chief executive Nick Jones said the retailer would be looking at a “phased reopening” of its store estate beginning on June 15.

Jones said the top priority would be “the continued safety of our customers and colleagues” in reopening and that it had been “carefully planning” how to operate stores safely.

The fashion brand outlined new safeguarding measures such as managing staff and customer levels in-store to allow for social distancing, introducing Perspex screens at tills, providing personal protective equipment for employees and providing customers with hand sanitiser.

Kurt geiger

Kurt Geiger

Kurt Geiger plans to open its stores from June 15 in phases - it will initially open 24 out of its 57 stores on this date.

The luxury label also plans to only allow one customer in-store per 161 square feet, which is double the government guidelines and has announced that any shoes that are tried on but not purchased will be quarantined for 24 hours before being put back on display.

The brand has committed to donating the first month of all store profits to ”NHS Charities Together” to help it reach its target of £1 million for the NHS by Christmas.

Bluewater

Landsec

Ahead of reopening on June 15, institutional landlord Landsec unveiled plans to implement social distancing measures in centres.

The owner of centres such as Bluewater in Kent said it would be installing floor stickers and signs around centres to remind shoppers to adhere to social distancing regulations. The landlord said it would also install new hand sanitising stations around centres and would have added security and concierge teams on hand to manage queues.

Lush Oberhausen

Lush

Lush began reopening stores across Europe from the end of April and has confirmed that it will reopen all England stores from June 15.

Lush will operate some stores as a kiosk by the front door and is inviting customers to wash their hands on entry with individual soap samples.

Marks & Spencer fascia

Marks & Spencer

 The retail chain’s food halls have been open throughout the pandemic, but it has now unveiled plans for reopening its other departments. M&S will reopen the majority of store space dedicated to selling clothing on June 15.

The retailers fitting rooms and cafes will remain closed, although some locations will offer coffee to go with contactless selection. Close contact services such as bra-fittings will also be temporarily suspended, employees will be positioned at store entrances to ensure social distancing is maintained and hand sanitisers will be offered to all customers as they enter stores. 

The retailer says because 260 stores of its stores sell both food and clothing and are led by a single manager, its store staff “already have brilliant working knowledge of the necessary hygiene measures to keep everyone well and how to manage social distancing and the flow of customers in and out of their store”.

Moss Bros

Moss Bros

Moss Bros has made plans to reopen stores “in an orderly manner” from June 15.

Mountain Warehouse

Mountain Warehouse

Mountain Warehouse will reopen all stores on June 15.

Next Eldon Square large

Next

Next will initially open 25 of its stores on June 15, and while it has not confirmed exact locations, it has said that these will be its larger format, out-of-town stores. 

There will be limits on customer numbers in stores, floor stickers indicating a one-way system, screens at tills and PPE.

Next has also said that any returned goods will be quarantined for 72 hours.

O2 at O2 (1)

O2

O2 plans to reopen all its stores from June 15 with new layouts and a virtual queuing system.

Customers wishing to go in-store will join a virtual queue and will receive a text when an assistant is ready to serve them one-to-one. NHS staff and careworkers will be able to skip the queue.

Primark Shrewsbury

Primark

Primark will open all its English stores on June 15. It has already began trading again in other countries where it has found the response “reassuring and encouraging despite still being down in like-for-like sales.

The value retailer said: “Trading in our reopened stores has been both reassuring and encouraging, with customer queues outside most stores and, once in-store, spending on larger basket sizes.

“However, the trading results since reopening were delivered over a very short period, will have been influenced by a number of specific factors and may not be indicative of a long-term pattern.

“Cumulative sales since reopening, on a like-for-like basis, were down on the same period last year in aggregate.”

Primark has also introduced social distancing measures and limits to the number of people allowed in at any one time.

Reiss Melbourne

Reiss

Reiss will initially begin its phased reopening of stores from June 15, starting with 26 stores across the country.

The fashion retailers will give customers limited access to changing rooms but is encouraging them to take items home to try on where possible and make use of the extended 60-day return policy.

Reiss is also reducing its trading hours to 11am-6pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am-5pm on Sundays.

Schuh kiosks are now flushed into the store design with the option to order shoes and pay using cash or card at the screens

Schuh

Schuh will reopen all stores from June 15. All stores will initially operate with reduced trading hours. Safety measures include PPE for staff, hand sanitiser, and 72-hour quarantine for returned items.

Shoes that customers try on will be sprayed with disinfectant before being returned to the stockroom.

Selfridges Oxford Street Photo Credit Andrew Meredith

Selfridges

Selfridges reopened its food hall at the beginning of May. The luxury department store plans to open the rest of its flagship London store on June 15, as well as its shops in Manchester and Birmingham.

SuperDry's new Manchester store

Superdry

Superdry plans to reopen all UK stores on June 15, taking lessons from its European stores as guidance for how to operate safely.

Ted Baker

Ted Baker

Ted Baker is preparing for a gradual reopening of its stores from mid-June and will recall furloughed staff on a needs basis.

The entertainer

The Entertainer

The Entertainer has announced that it will reopen all stores from June 15. To help staffserve more customers, the toy retailer has introduced two fast track concepts.

A “ready in 10” service will allow shoppers in the queue for the store to make an order from their phone, which can be collected in-store within 10 minutes. Similarly, customers who know what they want will be able to tell a colleague at the door and be fast-tracked to the payment area.

The Entertainer has also introduced Perspex screens, PPE and floor markings to allow for browsing. 

The Works Rustington

The Works

The Works will open all 465 of its stores across England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during the week beginning June 15, with shops in Scotland and Wales to follow ”as soon as possible thereafter”.

The retailer has implemented social distancing measures, has put perspex screens in place at the checkouts and installed cleaning stations across its stores to encourage customers to sanitise their hands as they shop.

Timpson Chester

Timpson

Timpson has kept its stores in supermarkets open throughout the lockdown but will reopen the remainder on June 15.

Urban outfitters

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters has reopened stores across Europe where regulations allow but has not yet announced its plans to reopen in the UK. 

The fashion retailer has, however, been operating changing rooms in its reopened stores, which have been adapted to allow social distancing and are cleaned after each use. All employees are required to wear masks and have the option to wear gloves.

Urban Outfiiters has also installed plexiglass screens at tills. 

Watches of Switzerland Regent Street

Watches of Switzerland

Specialist retailer Watches of Switzerland has confirmed it will be reopening all of its under its main fascia as well as its Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths stores in England from Monday. 

The retailer said it expected showrooms in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to reopen ”soon after”. The group said it had also reopened all of its Mayors fascia stores in the US and its Watches of Switzerland showrooms in Las Vegas. 

Customers wishing to go to one of the retailer’s stores will need to make an appointment with their nearest showroom. There will also be a limited number of walk-in appointments available. 

Along with social distancing signage and providing PPE to staff, Watches of Switzerland said it would only be accepting card payments in-store. 

Waterstones

Waterstones

Waterstones hopes to reopen all stores on June 15 and is preparing to have books that have been handled by customers but not bought put into quarantine. 

The book store will ask shoppers to set aside any books they touch on a trolley, which then will be wheeled away and put into storage for at least 72 hours to allow time for the virus to die.

Other measures in-store will include Perspex screens, a one-way system and the closure of in-store cafes.