Reiss will encourage shoppers to buy clothes, try them on at home and return them if needed rather than use changing rooms, the upmarket fashion firm said on Wednesday as it outlined reopening plans.
Non-essential retailers that shut stores in March, when the Covid-19 lockdown came into effect, will be able to reopen in England from June 15 under the latest government guidelines.
Retailer Reiss has 53 standalone shops in the UK. It told the Evening Standard it expects to open 27 of them on June 15, with the second reopening phase to follow a few weeks later.
The company said it will operate limited accessibility to fitting rooms, encouraging customers, where possible, to purchase products and try on at home, extending its returns policy to accommodate this.
For the limited fitting room usage, extra precautions will be introduced, including optional disposable face covers for customers when trying on garments, and disinfection of rooms after every use.
Reiss, which is majority-owned by US private equity company Warburg Pincus, also outlined several other measures it is introducing.
Among the list is: having hand sanitising stations on site; equipping staff with face masks and disposable gloves; providing pop socks to shoppers when trying on shoes.
Christos Angelides, chief executive of Reiss, said: “Our stores will be carefully managed, in accordance with the latest guidelines relating to maintaining the health and safety of our staff and customers. We very much look forward to opening our doors and welcoming our customers back in store .”
