Today marks the day retailers across Lanarkshire have been counting down to since December - they can now tentatively open their doors again and operate click and collect services.
The development comes as the latest round of lockdown easing gets underway across Scotland and sees an end to the tough restrictions placed on the retail sector.
And restrictions on a number of other services will ease slightly too, with hairdressers and barbers among the businesses allowed to open from Easter Monday.
But the First Minister is urging caution and has asked shoppers to delay their visits to stores, encouraging them to go later in the week to avoid big crowds gathering.
Nicola Sturgeon said: “All shops will be allowed to operate click and collect services from Monday – although you will need an appointment to pick up your goods.
“Car showrooms and forecourts will also reopen. Again, you may need an appointment to get into showrooms, so please check that with the retailer before you go.
“Homeware stores and garden centres will also be able to reopen – that’s something which I know will be appreciated by those retailers, and also by many customers, as we head towards the summer.
“Obviously, we don’t want big crowds at any of these stores – so although these are now open, think about whether you really need to visit them on Monday itself. If you can, wait until later in the week.
“Going later in the week – or later in the month – might mean things are a bit quieter.
“And of course, follow the advice and the instructions given by store staff. Those staff will be helping to keep you and the other customers safe.
“Finally, from next Monday, hairdressers and barbers will also be allowed to reopen. I know that many people are already looking forward to their first professional haircuts of the year. But again, please make an appointment before you go.
“These changes are – quite deliberately – fairly cautious steps out of lockdown. If you look across to Europe at the moment, many countries there are seeing a big rise in cases.
“We don’t want the same thing to happen here if we can avoid it.”
Business types reopening across Lanarkshire today include:
- reopening of non-essential ‘click and collect’ retail, extending the list of retail permitted to include:
° garden centres (indoor and outdoor)
° key cutting shops
° mobility equipment shops
° baby equipment shops
° electrical repair shops
° hairdressers and barbers (with shopfronts – not mobile services), by appointment only
° homeware shops
° vehicle showrooms (appointment only) and forecourts
