One of the UK’s busiest shopping centres is gearing up to let shoppers come back safely as the lockdown continues to ease.
Highcross, Leicester, is bringing in measures to help limit concerns among shoppers and staff when stores begin to reopen from June 15.
Parent company Hammerson has brought in an independent organisation to analyse and approve the reopening plans of all of its destinations in the coming weeks.
The shopping centre has been open to a small extent through the lockdown so that people can use Boots, Vision Express, H&B and The Post Office.
The Debenhams department store will not be opening. It is one of three in Hammerson centres that are closing for good, with part of the vast unit eventually being taken over by a new Next cosmetics store.
The shopping centre is home to brands including Top Shop, John Lewis, Goldsmiths and Zara.
On June 15 customers will see a range of measures to keep people safe, including:
- Introduction of a one-way system
- New signs reminding customers to follow social distancing guidance, and to avoid shopping in big groups
- Reminders on in-centre digital displays and over the Tannoy to stay safe
- Enhanced cleaning processes, especially on key customer touchpoints
- Live monitoring of footfall to ensure there aren’t too many people in the centre at any one time
- Introduction of queuing outside the centre when required, to manage capacity
- Fixed hand sanitiser stations throughout the centre
- All customer-facing centre staff to wear protective clothing
- Encouragement to use contactless payment for transactions
Jo Tallack, general manager at Highcross, said: “It has been a really challenging time for everyone, and we are hugely grateful to the key workers that have done so much over the past few months.
“At Highcross, we’re working really hard to make sure we can re-open on 15 June, and that we can do so safely.
“We ask that people be patient with us though, as the way we shop is going to be different for a while, and visits might take longer than usual. We can’t wait to re-open, and to welcome back our customers.”
Mark Bourgeois, managing director UK & Ireland at Hammerson, said: “Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of all of our customers, retailers and colleagues. We have considered carefully how to create an operating environment that allows the centre and brands to reopen safely.
“Throughout our destinations we will display clear information for consumers on how to shop in this new environment, and we also have technology in place allowing us to monitor visitor numbers, to ensure there are never too many people in our spaces at any one time.”
Highcross car parks will be available for use when the centre reopens.
Selected restaurants will continue to be available for takeaway and delivery, with further guidance expected from the Government in the coming weeks on when these venues can reopen for dine-in customers, as well as when leisure operators can re-open.
