Shops will be able to stay open until 10pm six days a week when they welcome back customers as lockdown eases, the Government has revealed.
Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, has announced that extended opening hours from Monday to Saturday will help shoppers return to high streets when non-essential shops reopen from April 12.
According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, shops will be able to extend their opening hours from 7am to 10pm to help customers to avoid peak times and ease transport pressures.
The measures should also help retailers who have been badly affected by the pandemic and the lockdowns needed to contain the virus.
Non-essential retailers will be able to open again from April 12, at the earliest, provided conditions are met.
Mr Jenrick said: “To support businesses to reopen and recover, I’ve extended measures to allow shops to stay open for longer.
“This is part of a package of support to help reopen our shops and high streets safely – backed by £56 million.
“This will provide a much-needed boost for many businesses – protecting jobs, reducing pressure on public transport and supporting people and communities to continue to visit their high streets safely and shop locally.”
Dominic Curran of the British Retail Consortium told the BBC: "Retailers have invested hundreds of millions in making their stores Covid-secure, implementing additional hygiene measures, perspex screens, social distancing and more."
The Government has also said it will extend flexible working hours on construction sites, and will allow food deliveries to supermarkets over more time periods.
Other measures also include keeping the flexibility for pubs and restaurants to put up marquees to help increase seating capacity in a Covid-secure way.
