Retailers and brands are reacting on an hourly basis to the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. Retail Week tracks the response of businesses, as they happen. Last updated on May 26.

Below are the retailers whose stores have been deemed ‘essential’ by the government and therefore can remain open.

Aldi 2017 logo

Aldi

Aldi was the first UK supermarket chain to ration the sale of all products, bringing in the drastic measure on March 15. Customers are restricted to purchasing four of any item per person, with nappies, toilet roll and kitchen roll limited to two per person.

The discounter is closing stores at 8pm instead of the usual 10pm to give staff more time to restock shelves. Sunday opening hours remain the same.

Aldi launched a recruitment drive on March 20 to hire 9,000 new staff across its stores and distribution centres.

On March 24, the discounter launched a 10% bonus on hours worked for store and distribution colleagues effective from March 9th 2020. Aldi has also launched 9.30am-10am on Sundays as a dedicated shopping slot for NHS, police and fire service workers, and announced plans to pay suppliers with a turnover of under £1m immediately – a move which will benefit over 1,000 of its suppliers.

On April 4, Aldi announced it would be lifting purchase restrictions in-store on all products except for hand wash, shower gell and UHT sterilized milk, which would still be limited to four items per-person. 

On April 29, Aldi announced that it would be giving all of its staff access to face masks to protect from coronavirus. 

On May 13, Aldi announced it had partnered with registered charity Mental Health UK on enhance support for its 33,000 staff during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The two year partnership would help staff with ”a range of practical tools and guides launched to help colleagues and their families to look after their mental health, by changing their perception of mental health, and providing them with the confidence to have an open conversation about mental wellness”.

On May 26 the discounter announced it would be implementing a new ‘traffic light’ system at stores nationwide following a successful local trial. The system is designed to limit the number of people allowed in Aldi supermarkets that can safely maintain two metre distances from other shoppers, as per government instruction. 

Asda Wirral

Asda

Asda has put a limit of three items per customer across certain lines including food, toiletries and cleaning products.

The grocer has closed its cafés and pizza counters to free up more staff to help in its warehouses and stack shelves. It is also working with 20 national companies in industries including food services and travel to hire 5,000 new people whose jobs have been impacted by coronavirus.

Asda’s 24-hour stores are closing between midnight and 6am to allow time for replenishment.

The Walmart-owned supermarket chain is also donating £5m to food banks and community charities amid the pandemic.

On March 24, Asda unveiled additional measures to protect store staff and shoppers, including the installation of perspex screens at checkout tills, limiting the number of customers allowed in shops at any one time and putting markers on the floor to ensure social distancing.

Asda has also confirmed that it will offer 12 weeks fully paid leave to any colleagues who need to self-isolate, are part of the vulnerable categories, for example pregnant or over-70, and those who are carers of extremely vulnerable people.  

At the start of April, it introduced new ‘volunteer shopping cards’, which can be topped up by elderly, vulnerable or self-isolating customers with as much as £150. A volunteer will then be sent a barcode with which to pay for their shopping, contact-free. 

Asda’s in-store pharmacies are offering free prescription delivery during lockdown to help get medication to shoppers who are self-isolating or less able to get into stores.

On April 17, Asda announced it had extended its Scan & Go Mobile service to all of its 581 stores to encourage contactless shopping during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. 

The grocer announced that from May 1, it would offer its pharmacy customers a new call and collect service. From that date, customer would be able to pick up their prescriptions from designated bays without having to enter stores and would be offered across all of Asda’s 255 pharmacies.

On May 4, in a letter to customers, Asda boss Roger Burnley said the supermarket chain would begin issuing registered care homes with priority passes for online food shopping. Burnley also said that Asda would be donating 250,000 medical grade face masks to care homes to protect residents and staff. 

Boots checkout

Boots

Boots has told staff employed in its beauty departments that they are not required to work in its stores during the pandemic.

Instead, the retailer has asked them to consider switching their roles to help serve customers across healthcare and pharmacy.

Boots is temporarily closing its opticians and hearing care stores across the UK, although “a small number” of them will remain open to serve customers with “essential” eye and hearing care needs.

The chain is also teaming up with the Government to operate testing facilities for NHS workers. Boots started supplying volunteer healthcare clinicians as testers from March 28.

On April 8 Boots said it would close 60 stores with low footfall and redeploy pharmacists to other branches. The store closures are primarily in central London locations, train station, airports and shopping centres across the UK.

On April 22, Boots announced it had hired an extra 500 delivery drivers to help meet the soaring demand for prescription medicine home delivery. 

The retailer said the new delivery drivers would mean it could introduce the service to 40 more of its store across the UK, as demand for the service had risen from 90,000 prescriptions a week to more than 150,000 in a month. 

Bmbargains

B&M

B&M has temporarily closed 50 of its 656-strong UK store estate following a review of its finances amid the coronavirus outbreak, with a selection of smaller stores and those in shopping centres set to close. Where possible, B&M has repurposed its distribution centres to increase the flow of grocery supplies to its stores and stopped picking non-grocery items in its warehouses as of March 14.

B&Q

B&Q

Although B&Q qualifies as an ‘essential’ retailer as defined by government guidelines, the retailer closed all stores until April 17 when it began reopening some stores on a trial basis with social distancing measures enforced. B&Q now has 253 stores open across the UK, almost all of its 296-strong store estate. 

Shoppers with outstanding click-and-collect orders can collect them from other stores and stablemate Screwfix’s stores remain open for click and collect orders only.

B&Q’s parent company, Kingfisher, is providing £1m of personal protective equipment – including protective eyewear and masks – and funding for health services across Europe.

The Kingfisher group chief executive Thierry Garnier and group chief finance officer Bernard Bot will receive no annual bonus for the financial year 2019-20. The entire board and group executive team has also voluntarily offered to forego 20% of their base salaries or board fees, effective 1 April 2020 for at least three months.

Coop

The Co-op

The Co-op has introduced a dedicated shopping hour for the elderly and vulnerable at all of its UK stores. 

It is hiring 5,000 new staff members in order to keep up with the demand and has simplified its recruitment process so that it can onboard new team members “in a matter of days”.

The mutual has also pledged to provide free lunches for a week to the 6,500 students at its Co-op Academies who usually receive free school meals, but have been forced to stay at home because of coronavirus.

The Co-op has launched the Members’ Coronavirus Fund, giving those in its membership scheme the option of donating their unspent rewards to food banks, frontline community causes or a funeral hardship fund.

Its boss Steve Murrells has taken a 20% pay cut, which he has donated directly to the members’ fund.

The Co-op announced on May 12 that it had partnered with local authorities across the UK to set up a unique home delivery service for vulnerable customers. Volunteers will run deliveries to vulnerable customers’ homes, with those customers able to make orders and pay for them through a dedicated telephone service. 

DFS

DFS

The furniture store ceased all operations including showrooms, manufacturing facilities and home delivery services from March 24 to “protect its people and customers”. 

Customers will still be able to make orders online, but fulfilment suspended for the foreseeable future.

On April 20, following speculation in the media, DFS confirmed it had been in discussion with lending banks about extending its credit facility by £60m or £70m. It also flagged the possibility of conducting an equity raise to see it through the ongoing depressed trading as a result of the coronavirus. 

DFS revealed plans to reopen stores from May 22, and has introduced a host of safety measures including daily temperature checks for staff.

Dunelm 2

Dunelm

Homewares giant Dunelm announced on April 16 that it had resumed trading online after closing down its ecommerce arm along with its store after the government placed the UK into lockdown due to the coronavirus in late March. 

The retailer said it consulted “external specialists, including NHS professionals” to advise on changes and that it had received approval from Trading Standards to open its website for business again.

From May 12, Dunelm began reopening stores, and has now opened 39 across its 171-strong store estate, as well as allowing shoppers to pick up click-and-collect orders from the majority of its shops.

Halfords Derby  1

Halfords

Halfords has kept its autocentres and garages open during the pandemic, pointing to the fact that many key workers including British Transport Police and Ministry of Defence rely on its services to keep their motor fleets running.

The retailer has “fundamentally” changed how its stores operate. Customers are no longer allowed into stores to browse in order to stick to social distancing rules. Halfords is instead providing services and collection from the front of store, and insisted it “will only continue to operate this service while we believe it is safe to do so for our colleagues and communities”.

Holland and Barrett More York

Holland & Barrett

Holland & Barrett stores can remain open under government guidelines, but the business has consolidated its stores estate based on areas where it has more than one outlet as well as closing numerous city and shopping centre stores for the foreseeable. Staff at impacted store, as well as those that are self-isolating or do not feel safe to work will receive 80% of their statutory pay according to government measures, and Holland & Barrett will pay the additional 20%. Staff still working in stores and warehouses will also receive a 10% bonus on their current pay.

The retailer has put in measures to ensure its stores enforce social distancing including only allowing two shoppers in-store at any one time and reduced opening hours.

Homebase

One month after closing its doors to the public, Homebase reopened 20 of its stores on a trial basis from April 25 with social distancing and other safety measures in place.

Following a successful trial, the retailer reopened an additional 50 stores across the UK on Wednesday 29th April. It plans for remaining UK stores to be reopened for customers to browse and shop from Saturday 2nd May.

John Lewis Oxford Street

John Lewis Partnership

John Lewis’ eponymous department store arm closed all 50 of its locations from March 23, but its upmarket grocery chain Waitrose remains open for business.

Waitrose began to place limits on purchases from March 19 including caps on purchases of toilet paper.

From March 20, it introduced a dedicated priority shopping hour for older and vulnerable people and shut all of its cafes and rotisseries to redeploy its staff onto the shop floor.

On March 24 the grocer introduced additional measures to enforce social distancing in stores including floor signage to enforce distancing rules, fewer checkouts in operation and protective screens on those in use and limiting the number of shoppers in-store at any one time.

On April 7 Waitrose unveiled a dedicated e-gift card for shoppers who have been advised not to visit shops to allow loved one’s to pay for their online deliveries. The card is available for purchase in £10 denominations up to £500.

The partnership has launched a £1m community support fund to be handed out across the country. The cash will be distributed through Waitrose stores.

It is also installing a wellbeing area for healthcare staff at the NHS Nightingale hospital in London, giving them “a place of sanctuary when they need help or time out to relax from their extremely challenging environment”.

Meanwhile, Waitrose’s department store stablemate John Lewis has launched a range of virtual experiences, taking some of the help and advice offered in its stores onto its online platform.

Customers are able to book free, one-to-one appointments including a virtual nursery, home design and personal styling advice. Further services, inspirational talks and learning sessions are due to launch at the end of April.

Leon

Leon

Healthy fast-food chain Leon is converting its restaurants into mini-supermarkets, offering ready meals, meat, vegetables and other products. It will also offer customers home delivery slots.

The food to go chain launched a FeedTheNHS campaign alongside other hospitality names such as Wasabi and Pizza Pilgrims in a bid to supply freen meals to NHS staff. Leon is also offering 50% off for NHS workers.

Lidl (1)

Lidl

Lidl has introduced a four-item limit on several product lines including pasta, rice, tinned goods and cleaning products.

Like many of its competitors, it has reserved the first hour of trading for elderly shoppers.

The discounter is hiring 2,500 new staff members in a bid to keep up with demand and has installed checkout protection screens across all its stores across the UK.

Lidl has committed to raising a further £2m for the NSPCC’s Childline service, which has experienced “unprecedented” demand during the coronavirus outbreak. The grocer has already raised £3m for the charity over the past three years.

LloydsPharmacy has acquired Sainsbury's pharmacies

Lloyd’s Pharmacy

The pharmacy chain, which has over 1,500 stores across the UK, has limited its opening hours.

Lloyd’s will now open an hour later than usual, in most cases, this is 10am, and will close an hour earlier. All staff members will also have a scheduled lunch break, typically 1pm-2pm.

It is also implementing a two-metre social distance policy between pharmacist and customer and has given store managers the power to limit the number of customers in-store at any one time.

Marks & Spencer Liverpool

Marks & Spencer

M&S is restricting purchases of items including eggs, frozen food and homecare products to two per person. It has also installed “suitable for home freezing” signage in stores and is issuing advice for home freezing on its online blog.

It has redeployed staff from its cafes and clothing and home departments to support its food stores. All shopfloor workers will receive a 15% pay increase during the pandemic.

M&S is offering extra opening hours for elderly and vulnerable shoppers on Monday and Thursday mornings, and NHS workers on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The retailer is also offering contact-free home deliveries and has increased the amount of food it produces in the UK.

On March 24 Marks & Spencer unveiled plans to put greeters at the front of its shops, put two-metre distance markers on floors, built time into staff shifts to enable them to wash their hands every half hour and has asked customers not to scan their Sparks loyalty cards for the time being.

M&S has also launched £30 food boxes – with a standard and vegeratian option – offering 20 kitchen and household essentials including rice, pasta, cooking sauces and its famous Percy Pigs. The boxes can be ordered online for a delivery fee of £3.99.

At the start of April, M&S said it was to give all shopfloor staff a 15% pay reward, while it also introduced new e-gift cards to make it easier for volunteers to shop on behalf of elderly, vulnerable or self-isolating customers.

M&S is also donating pyjamas to be used as scrubs by the NHS as part of several initiatives to support the health serviced during the coronavirus outbreak.

Marks & Spencer has implemented a raft of measures to help suppliers ride out disruption during the coronavirus outbreak.

The department store asked all its suppliers to stop production a day after the UK went into lockdown, and will pay according to its standard terms for products shipped before March 24.

M&S is also paying for all made garments for the vast majority of orders – amounting to 95% of the retailer’s product spend – yet to be shipped by that date, the exceptions being for niche lines or to tertiary suppliers.

McColls 2

McColl’s

On April 6, convenience store chain McColl’s announced it has struck a partnerhsip with food delivery service Deliveroo. The retailer said it would be making “a wide range of essential” products, such as groceries, soft drinks, confectionery, snacks, beer, wine, toiletries and household goods available to customers through the app.

The tie-up will initially launch from 120 McColl’s stores, eventually expanding to 300 across the convenience store group’s estate. It said the partnership “will help customers, particularly the elderly and vulnerable in isolation and unable to leave their homes, to access the food and toiletries they need” during the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.

Morrisons delivery van.jpg.crdownload

Morrisons

Morrisons is limiting purchases on 1,250 lines to four items per person and has started closing stores at the earlier time of 8pm. It has introduced an NHS hour from 7am-8am between Monday and Saturday.

The supermarket giant is hiring 3,500 more staff members to help with the increased demand for home deliveries. It has also pledged to pay all staff even if they are self-isolating or staying at home to look after older and vulnerable people.

Existing staff will be rewarded with a three-fold increase in their bonus, meaning full-time workers will earn an average bonus of £1,050, compared to £350 last year. 

Online, Morrisons has introduced “simple-to-order” food parcels and rolled out an increased number of delivery slots, both on its own website and on Amazon Prime. It is using 100 additional stores to pick and pack online orders. On April 9, it revealed it was ramping up production of the food boxes to 100,000 per week.

That move came just 24 hours after the grocer launched a home delivery partnership with Deliveroo to further support vulnerable and self-isolating consumers during lockdown.

The Bradford-based retailer has also introduced a click-and-collect food box service from hospital car parks to give NHS staff easy access to essential groceries.

Morrisons has moved to pay its smaller suppliers – those which do business worth £1m or less with the grocer – within two days rather than two weeks.

It has installed large perspex screens at all checkouts in all of its stores in a bid to help protect staff and consumers and follow the government’s social distancing guidelines.

Morrisons is also donate £10m of food to food banks to help those in need during the pandemic. It will ramp up production from its own manufacturing sites to fulfil that pledge.

On April 14, Morrisons announced it had launched a telesales grocery shopping service for elderly and vulnerable customers during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. 

On April 23, Morrisons announced it would be offering its 2,700 contracted farmers a 5% discount on their groceries as a thank you gesture for helping “feed the nation”. 

The grocer has opened a summer “BBQ and Steak Bar” and “BBQ and Seafood Bar” in its stores to help meat and fish producers struggling to survive after the collapse of the restaurant industry. 

On May 13, Morrisons announced it would be introducing a ‘speedy shopping’ service for customers wishing to make smaller basket shops to minimse queue lengths outside of its supermarkets. 

Ocado van pink

Ocado

The online grocer has stopped taking orders from new customers but was still forced to shut down its website and app between March 19 and March 21 under the weight of demand.

Ocado is giving priority over delivery slots to elderly and vulnerable customers.

Pets_at_Home

Pets at Home

The majority of Pets at Home stores remain open but the specialist retailer has prioritised food, bedding and medicine ranges. The retailer has stopped offering grooming and other service treatments, limited the number of shoppers allowed in-store at any one time, is imposing social distancing through floor signage and stopped accepting cash payments, as well as reducing its opening hours to allow for stock replenishment.

From May 21, Pets at Home began to reopen its groom rooms. It has also launched a ”call and deliver to car” service as well as video consultations.

Chief executive Peter Pritchard chose not to place any staff on furlough using the government scheme, and called out other retailers for taking advantage of the government’s genorosity.

Poundland

Poundland

Poundland has temporarily closed around 100 of its stores, despite being designated as an ‘essential’ retailer by the Government. Around 60% of its product range falls under the ‘essentials’ category.

The retailer said the closures impact locations where it operates two stores close to each other, or ones that are located in shopping centres that are likely to close. Impacted staff will either be transferred to a nearby store or placed into the Government’s furlough scheme.

In its stores that remain open, Poundland has put in additional measures to ensure staff and shopper safety. Only every other till is open, staff must wash their hands every 20 minutes, protective screens have been installed at checkouts and floor signage has been put in place to maintain a two-metre distance between shoppers.

Sainsburys Hedge End

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s has closed all fish, meat and pizza counters, as well as its in-store cafes, redeploying those staff to help stack shelves.

It has placed restrictions of three items per customer on any groceries, and two per customer on in-demand products such as toilet paper and long-life UHT milk.

The grocer introduced regular shopping hours for NHS staff, elderly and vulnerable people on March 21, allowing them to shop between 8am and 9am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Sainsbury’s has also increased online collection points across the UK, including car-park collections.

The supermarket giant has pledged that any staff members unwell or self-isolating will receive full pay for two weeks. Elderly and vulnerable workers who are self-isolating for 12 weeks, as per government guidance, will receive full pay for the duration of that three-month period.

On March 24 Sainsbury’s said it would close Argos stores and concessions and redeploy staff to Sainsbury’s food stores to respond to the spike in demand.

On March 25 the grocer said it would introduce immediate payment terms for its suppliers with under £100,000 turnover – a move that will benefit nearly 1,500 small businesses.

Sainsbury’s has also started testing deliveries by bicycle from ‘dark’ convenience stores, offering home delivery on up to 20 grocery items within as little as an hour through its Chop Chop app.

Following similar moves by the likes of M&S and Waitrose, Sainsbury’s launched its volunteer shopping card on April 21, enabling others to shop on behalf of the elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers who cannot get to stores themselves.

In a letter to customers dated April 23, Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe said that the grocer would be extending trading hours to 10pm at supermarkets and until 11pm in select convenience locations. Coupe also said the grocer would look to reopen some petrol forecourt stores and had further rolled out its ChopChop on demand grocery delivery service in London zones 1 and 2. 

SPAR Laceby Lodge

Spar

Convenience store chain Spar outlined social distancing measures for customers in its stores on March 26. In line with government guidelines, the retailer said it would install “special markings” at distances of two meters outside stores, would limit the number of customers inside stores and would use floor signage to promote distancing. 

For staff, Spar said it would install perspex screens at store till points, would ask customers to pay by card where possible and cashiers would be encouraged to work from every other till “where possible”. 

Superdrug Glasgow

Superdrug

Superdrug’s parent company AS Watson has pledged AS Watson, also The Perfume Shop and Savers, has unveiled a £40m financial support scheme for employees affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The retailer will ensure full pay for parents who are unable to work remotely or in another business position as a result of school closures, and full pay, backdated to March 16, for anyone unable to work due to sickness or self-isolation.

AS Watson said any staff affected by distribution centre, service or store closures would either be redeployed or, if that is not possible, paid in full.

All pay increases and bonuses due this month or next will also be honoured.

Superdrug, Savers and The Perfume Shop employ 18,000 people across 1,550 stores.

Superdrug is opening stores based on staff availability and reviewing the number of stores it has open and locations on a rolling basis. Opening hours have been reduced from 10am to 5pm and additional measures have been implemented in-store including two-metre distancing, perspex screens at till point and pharmacy counter, extra card only tills, the removal of testers and restricting the number of customers per store at any one time.

The health and beauty retailer has also introdued a same-day courier service for its customers, offering the service to customers within a 8-mile radius of its UK store network of over 300 outets. 

Tesco HQ

Tesco

Tesco implemented a three-item limit on all products and axed all multibuy promotions during the height of demand, but the restrictions now only apply to items such as toilet roll, tinned and packaged foods and personal cleaning products. Online shoppers are only able to purchase a maximum of 80 items per order.

Its larger stores are opening only to elderly and vulnerable shoppers between 9am and 10am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while NHS staff have a dedicated hour on Sundays, one hour before their store’s usual opening time. All its supermarkets are now closing at the earlier time of 10pm.

Tesco said on March 20 it was creating 20,000 new temporary roles, which would last at least 12 weeks, to help it cope with soaring demand. The grocer will pay existing hourly paid staff a 10% bonus for going “above and beyond” during the pandemic.

Britain’s biggest retailer has also closed all fresh food counters except bakeries, redeploying those staff on the shop floor. Any staff who are over the age of 70, vulnerable or pregnant have been told they do not need to work for 12 weeks, but will receive full pay.

The grocer has also moved payment terms for small suppliers from 14 to five days.

On March 25 Tesco unveiled additional measures to ensure social distancing was enforced in its stores including floor signage, a cap on the number of shoppers allowed in-store at once and protective checkout screens.

Tesco is also opening pop-up shops in temporary NHS Nightingale hospitals, allowing healthcare workers easier access to food and essential items.

WHSmith Havant

WHSmith

Around 200 of WHSmith’s high street stores contain Post Offices and therefore remain open for business, while its 140 shops inside UK hospitals also continue to trade.

The business has expanded its supply tie-up with Sainsbury’s in order to broaden its grocery proposition at 80 of those hospital stores. More than 90 additional Sainsbury’s products, including toilet roll, pasta, long-life milk and ambient food products, will be sold in the WHSmith stores during the health emergency.

NHS staff continue to receive a 20% discount on all products in WHSmith’s hospital stores, including all Sainsbury’s items.

The retailer’s charity, the WHSmith Trust, is donating £40,000 to Royal Voluntary Service’s national emergency appeal. The cash will help support its efforts in providing a lifeline to elderly and vulnerable people across the UK. 

Wilko

Wilko

Wilko is closing all of its stores at the earlier time of 5pm to allow staff extra time to clean shops and replenish shelves. It will continue to sell its full product range, with the exception of pick and mix sweets.

The value operator has introduced additional cleaning measures, as well as social distancing procedures and queue marshals to ensure customers stay a safe distance apart while they shop and check out.

Wilko is also paying company sick pay to any workers who are ill with coronavirus. Staff who are over 70 years old, pregnant or classed by the Government as vulnerable are being guaranteed full pay for 12 weeks while they self-isolate. 

The retailer has launched a £125,000 community fund to support schools, food banks, animal shelters and elderly people across the UK. It is also donating more than 160,000 Easter eggs to NHS workers and those in need.

The stores listed below are not regarded as ‘essential’ by the government and were told to close as of March 24, 2020. Several retailers had already taken measures to protect their customers and staff prior to enforced store closures and have taken further measures since.

AO washing machine

AO.com

Pureplay electricals retailers AO.com announced on April 20 that it would be offering free delivery and timeslots for NHS staff to make it “easy and hassle-free” for frontline medical workers to get orders at a time which “suits their shift patterns”. 

AO.com also announced that all NHS staff would be able to access a 10% discount on personal purchases. 

Allbirds Marylebone 20.2.20_85

Allbirds

The sustainable footwear brand is offering all NHS workers a free pair of shoes. 

Anthropologie

Anthropologie

On March 16, Anthropologie announced the closure of all its stores until at least March 28.

Dorothy Perkins

Arcadia

Arcadia, which owns fashion brands including Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge closed all stores in the UK from 20 March at 4pm.

The fashion group has put a “substantial number” of its staff on furlough leave. Group chief executive Ian Grabiner will receive no salary or benefits until further notice, while other senior executives across the business will take pay cuts of between 25% and 50%.

Arcadia has stopped making contributions to its pension scheme and cancelled outstanding orders to suppliers in a bid to cut costs.

asos parcel

Asos

Pureplay fashion retailer Asos has announced that it is reintroducing its next day delivery option for customers, months after it stopped the service due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Beaverbrooks

Boden 7

Beaverbrooks

The jeweller shuttered all 59 UK stores as of 5pm on March 23. It also stopped trading online temporarily from March 27, saying: “The safety and wellbeing of our people is our utmost priority, and despite current government guidance for online retailers to continue normal operation, we need to do everything we can to protect our colleagues, their families and the wider community.”

Boden

Boden shuttered all its stores on March 17 and will review the situation on March 27.

Carpetright   newest store front

Carpetright

Carpetright closed all of its smaller high-street stores on March 23, but its retail park locations, where social distancing is easier to adhere to, remain open, albeit on reduced trading hours. 

It has stopped accepting new appointments for home flooring surveyors to visit customers’ homes.

Clarks sign

Clarks

Clarks temporarily closed all 441 of its stores across the UK and Ireland from March 20 but has promised to continue to pay all shopfloor staff. 

Costa Coffee

Costa

Costa’s 2,000 coffee shops across the UK were all closed temporarily by the end of business March 23.

Its hospital locations remain open, with NHS staff receiving free hot drinks.

Its 19,000 staff will be paid in full until May. 

Costa began reopening some stores from the beginning of May offering either drive-through or take-away services only.

DEBENHAMS WATFORD00030

Debenhams

Debenhams closed all of its UK stores on March 23.  

The struggling department store chain had already been mulling more shop closures and was attempting to secure further rent reductions from landlords as it battles to stay afloat.  

On April 6 the retailer filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. FRP Advisory have been appointed to handle the process, which the retailer said will protect its 142-strong store estate “from the threat of legal action that could have the effect of pushing the business into liquidation.”

Currys PC World

Dixons Carphone

Dixons Carphone is temporarily closing approximately half of its 300-strong Curry’s PC World store estate, with 145 stores remaining open on a ‘contact-free’ basis, which will allow shoppers to make purchases from the front section of the store with minimal interaction with staff or other shoppers.

On April 17, Bloomberg reported that Dixons Carphone was planning for trading life post-coronavirus lockdown by introducing drive thru only stores to limit staff exposure to the virus. 

Dixons Carphone has now begun offering video consultations with store colleagues at home to offer advice on electricals. It has also teamed up with Age UK to donate free tablets to elderly isolated citizens. 

eBay

On April 23 eBay announced a tie-up with the NHS. The online marketplace has partnered with teams across the NHS supply chain, the Department of Health & Social Care and the Army to create a new online portal to allow primary and social care providers to order PPE directly from the NHS.

The portal, which is currently being piloted, allows healthcare workers on the NHS database to order a range of PPE items. The platform is going to be scaled up in phased stages to ensure technical updates can be embedded in real time.

Fenwick

Fenwick

Fenwick closed all of its stores on March 19 “until further notice” but is continuing to operate its transactional website “for as long as it can”.

Greggs

Greggs

Greggs is to close all of its stores from close of business on March 24. It had already switched to a take-away only model and stopped taking cash payments.

Heal’s

Known for its flagship Tottenham Court Road store, Heal’s has launched free one-hour consultations with its in-store colleagues, who can give virtual tours of the shopfloor, offer interior design advice, and take orders.

Heal’s has also created 10 free Zoom backgrounds featuring its designs for its customers to download and use. 

Hmhome2

H&M

H&M is yet to close its UK stores but has shuttered all of its shops in the USA, Canada and Germany.

It has also extended its returns policy from 28 to 100 days and donated $500,000 to the World Health Organisation.

hmvVaultEdit_13

HMV

HMV closed all 120 UK stores from the end of March 22, but will continue to sell online.

Hotel Chocolat

Hotel Chocolat

Hotel Chocolat began implementing a 50% discount for all NHS staff in its stores on March 20.

The chocolate specialist announced on March 23 it would be temporarily closing all of its stores to protect staff and customers. 

The retailer is contuing to run its online business as normal, and is offering free delivery on all orders to “help ease the transition” for customers. 

Ikea Coventry

Ikea

Having already closed all its restaurants, cafes and playground areas, Ikea shuttered its UK stores on March 20.

Customers are still able to shop online and have products delivered to their homes.

From March 31 Ikea repurposed its Wembley superstore car park as a coronavirus testing centre for NHS workers - an initiative it may roll out to other locations depending on the spread of the virus.

Ikea is believed to be planning trial reopenings of a small number of stores over the weekend beginning May 23.

Zara Oxford Street 2015

Inditex

Zara’s parent company Inditex closed 3,785 stores across 39 markets from March 16.

The fashion giant has started manufacturing face masks and hospital gowns to donate to coronavirus patients and healthcare workers.

In The Style 1

In The Style

In The Style has pledged to donate all proceeds from its latest Olivia Bowen edit to Age UK, as well as 10% from all sales sitewide.

Joules

Joules revealed on April 22 that it is leveraging its supplier partnerships to source and donate 50,000 civilian-grade masks. They will be donated to those who urgently need them, including the University of Leicester Hospitals Trust, Joules charity partner Hospice UK, and various regional key worker end user groups.

The retailer is also donating almost 10,000 of its own products, such as pop-on welly clogs, hand cream, socks and tote bags to Leicester Hospital Charities and Hospice UK. The products will be distributed to doctors, nurses and patients who require them.

Kurt Geiger autumn 15

Kurt Geiger

The luxury retailer has closed all 55 of its UK and Ireland stores until further notice.

Kurt Geiger chief executive Neil Clifford has suspended his own salary until they reopen, and has offered NHS workers 50% off for a year in all stores after the pandemic passes.

In addition to that, Kurt Geiger will give away £5m of shoes to bags to NHS workers by the end of 2020 “to thank them for their efforts in keeping the UK healthy and safe”.

Laura Ashley Urban Outfitters 2

Laura Ashley

Fashion and homewares brand Laura Ashley announced on April 22 it would be producing 3,000 sets of medical scrubs a week alongside other essential products for the National Health Service. 

The retailer, which is currently in administration and seeking a buyer, said the equipment would be manufactured at its factory in Wales and that 41 staff had volunteered to return to work for the purpose, with social distancing measures in place. 

Lush Perfume Library 1

Lush

Prior to stores closing on March 21, Lush had been allowing members of the public access to its shops to wash their hands for free.

It has now stopped selling all products online for “a few days” so it can rearrange its workspaces to comply the with government’s social distancing measures.  

Louis vuitton

LVMH

The owner of luxury brands including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior is producing hand sanitiser at three of its perfume and cosmetics sites in France. They are being given out free of charge to French hospitals fighting the coronavirus outbreak.

McDonalds fries

McDonald’s

McDonald’s took the decision to close all 1,270 of its UK restaurants on March 22, having previously closed all seating areas. 

The fast-food giant employs around 135,000 people in the UK, the majority of which are on zero-hours contracts. But McDonald’s said all staff employed directly by the company would receive full pay for their scheduled hours until April 5.

Missguided (1)

Missguided

The fast-fashion retailer has extended its Health Service and Blue Light Code discounts to 40% across its website.

Moss Bros

Mens formalwear specialist Moss Bros announced on May 12 that it would resume trading online from May 13, following the government’s guidance that all who can’t work from home should be encouraged back to work. 

The retailer closed both its stores and ecommerce operation on March 26, following the government’s lockdown order. It had previously indicated it would not trade purely online, due to the lack of demand for suits and formal attire during the lockdown. 

New Look, Birmingham

New Look

New Look closed all of its 480 UK stores on March 21. It had already shuttered its stores across Ireland the previous day.

The fashion retailer continues to trade online and has extended its refund policy to 90 days.

Net a Porter van

Net-A-Porter

Luxury pureplay fashion retailer Net-A-Porter said on March 26 it would be closing its south London distribution warehouse “in the next few days” to safeguard the health of its workers. 

Next Gloucester

Next

Fashion retailer Next closed all of its stores temporarily from 6pm on March 23. The business initially kept its ecommerce platform up and running, but also decided to close down its online operations and warehouses on March 26 after staff said they “increasingly feel they should be at home in the current climate”. 

On April 14 the fashion retailer announced it had begun a phased reopening of its online arm with ”very extensive additional safety measures” in place for staff at its distribution centres. It said more than 3,000 employees volunteered to go back to work. 

O2 at O2 (1)

O2

The phone network and retailer closed all stores from 5pm on March 23.

Primark Birmingham

Primark

Prior to the government-enforced lockdown, Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods made the decision to close all 376 Primark stores across 12 countries, which could result in a loss of up to £650m a month.

Senior executives across ABF and Primark, including the fashion giant’s boss Paul Marchant, have taken a 50% pay cut during the pandemic. ABF non-executives, including the group’s chair Michael McLintock, have had their fees reduced 25%.

Pret A Manger

Pret A Manger

Pret took the decision to close all of its UK locations on March 21.It has pledged that no jobs will be lost as part of the temporary move.

It had previously closed all seating areas in its stores and remained open on a takeout-only basis, offering NHS staff members free hot drinks and 50% off all other products.

Reiss Melbourne

Reiss

Reiss closed all of its stores in the UK and Ireland from March 16 but continues to operate online. Its private equity owners Warburg Pincus have also paused their efforts to sell the fashion chain as a result of coronavirus. 

River Island

River Island

River Island unveiled plans to shutter its Milton Keynes distribution centre and stop taking new online orders on March 26. The retailer said it had shuttered its fulfilment centre and paused ecommerce operations to protect staff amid the spread of coronavirus.

schuh

Schuh

On March 26, footwear specialist Schuh announced it would be temporarily suspending its online operations to ensure the “safety of our teams and customers”. 

Subsequently, on April 6, the retailer announced it had rebooted its online operations. 

On April 17, Schuh announced it had donated £3m to the National Emergencies Trust and the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 appeal. 

selfridges

Selfridges

Selfridges closed of all its department stores from March 18, after previously operating reduced opening hours. It is continuing to trade online.

The retailer has pledged to continue to pay all workers their contracted hours during the closure period.

Selfridges has also teamed up with M&S’ Marble Arch branch and The London Clinic to provide medical staff and other essential workers with 24-hour access to its London car park.

Sweaty Betty

Sweaty Betty

The sportswear brand shuttered all its UK stores for two weeks from March 17. Its online store remains open and customers are being offered free delivery on all orders.

The Works Rustington

The Works

The Works closed all of its stores on March 23 to “encourage social distancing for the safety and wellbeing of its colleagues, customers and the wider community”.

Ted baker sign

Ted Baker

The fashion brand announced on April 20 that it would be launching ’Ted’s Bazaar’ - a digital pop-up store with 100% of the profits from sales going to local charities. 

The retailer said profits from the first round of sales from the digital pop-up would go to Magic Breakfast, a charity which provides free breakfasts to school children in the UK. 

Timpson Chester

Timpson

Shoe repairers Timpson announced it will close all 2,150 of its stores across the UK from 5pm on March 23.

Chief executive James Timpson said in a Twitter post: “We hope it won’t be for too long. All our wonderful colleagues will remain on full pay and will look forward to seeing you when we reopen.”

TK Maxx

TK Maxx

TJX Europe shut all of its 349 TK Maxx and 78 Homesense stores across the UK and Ireland from March 19 until further notice.

This followed moves to close shops across Germany, Poland, Austria and the Netherlands the previous week.

TK Maxx resumed selling online on April 30 after making “some significant changes” to its ecommerce oprations to ensure staff safety. These include offering PPE to warehouse workers, introducing social distancing measures, increasing the cleaning and sanitisation of equipment and carrying out contactless deliveries to customers’ homes. 

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters closed all of its 600 stores across the globe from March 15 until at least March 28.

The US-based retailer has 28 stores in the UK and Ireland and 50 across Europe.

Waterstones

Waterstones

After meeting backlash from its staff, Waterstones made the decision to close its 280-strong store estate, despite “unprecedented demand” for books. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a 17% increase in sales for the retailer.

It will continue to trade online.

Zalando packaging

Zalando

German pureplay fashion retailer Zalando has partnered with international non-profit organisation Ashoka to identify and support local social entrepreneurs around the world working on coronavirus solutions. 

Those entrepreneurs identified by Ashoka will be supported by Zalando staff working on their projects.