Primark could be open for 24-hour shopping in the run up to Christmas once lockdown is lifted.
The boss of Primark has called for extended shopping hours in December to make up for lockdown sales losses.
This means that customers would be able to socially distance and avoid busy peak times in-store
According to the Telegraph, chief executive George Weston said that loosening the shopping rules would both give cash-strapped firms a chance to survive after being forced to shut their doors for a month from Thursday and allow shoppers to spread out their visits more safely.
Mr Weston, whose grandfather founded Primark owner Associated British Foods (ABF), said: "If we are able to trade in some stores up to 24 hours a day, then we can keep people more separate from each other more easily.
"We can keep the stores safer if everyone knows there are plenty [of] trading hours, [and] they do not have to rush on a Sunday into a six-hour period."
On Wednesday, there were huge queues outside Primark in Liverpool city centre, as shoppers rushed to do their last shop picking up early Christmas presents before the store shut for the month-long lockdown.
Queues of customers stretched around the side of the building in Church Alley up to The Bluecoat on School Lane.
Mr Weston expects that once lockdown is lifted customers will go on a Christmas shopping blitz at their stores to make up for lost time if Primark is allowed to reopen along with other non-essential retailers.
Mr Weston added: "It will give customers the confidence that there will be time for them to do their Christmas shopping on the high street between Dec 2 - I hope - and the 24th.
"And it will allow my business to sell a lot of its Christmas stock. I think it would be a great step forward for the high street to be allowed extend opening hours."
