In a much-needed boost for the high street, retailers will be able to extend their daily opening hours from Monday to Saturday in the run up to Christmas and throughout January. From Wednesday 2 December, all non-essential retail across England will be able to reopen, and planning rules limiting opening hours will be eased to allow shops to be open for longer from Monday to Saturday. While being a boost to business, these measures will also help ease transport pressures and make socially distanced shopping easier by giving people greater flexibility to choose when they shop.
Central Devon MP Mel Stride, who chairs the influential House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, said:
“Businesses in Central Devon have done an outstanding job making their premises Covid-secure and taking all the necessary steps to keep their customers safe. Allowing businesses that want to open longer to do so is a good move that will help spread out their trade and hopefully be good for their takings too.”
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:
“With just over 3 weeks until Christmas, shoppers will welcome the additional opportunities to shop that the government’s statement supports. Such measures will give more flexibility for shoppers about when and how they shop and we’d encourage everyone to avoid peak times where possible, not leave it all to the last minute and follow all the safety guidelines.”
