Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Shoppers throng England's reopened high streets

Shoppers returned to England’s high streets Wednesday as shops reopened following the end of a four-week coronavirus lockdown.

On a day dubbed "Wild Wednesday" because of an expectation of huge numbers of shoppers, customers wearing masks and laden with bags flocked to stores on Oxford Street in central London.


One customer, Charlotte Cobb, told AFP the latest lockdown had been "tricky" but said she was "just so happy to be back". "With Christmas, it's just brilliant," she said.

"I'm really excited."

At Selfridges' flagship department store, staff greeted crowds with applause and a sequined Santa Claus danced under glittering silver disco balls as customers shopped.

Store director, Maeve Wall said it was a Christmas "like no other," and "certainly not one we would have anticipated".

"It's about making the experience as pleasurable as we can for customers, so we will maintain the fun and excitement," she added.

The easing of restrictions has come as a relief to the hard-hit retail industry. Non-essential shops were forced to close, compounding losses made during lockdown from March to June.

But a new regional system for curbing the spread of the coronavirus is now in place, with parts of the country in the highest of three tiers still effectively shuttered.

The system - designed to allow families and friends to gather at Christmas - has been criticised as doing little to reinstate cherished freedoms and help the ailing economy.

Most of England's 55 million population has gone straight into Tier 2 or 3, depending on local infection rates, limiting household mixing and the reopening of the hospitality sector.

Just one percent of the country - the southwest county of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Wight in the south - are in the least restrictive Tier 1.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself a Covid survivor, succeeded in winning a vote on the measures in parliament on Tuesday night, despite opposition within his own Conservative ranks.

Hopes that life could return to normal came a step closer after Britain announced approval had been given to roll out Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid jab from next week.

The government, under pressure after 59,000 deaths in the outbreak, hopes to use it and other vaccines due to be given the green light alongside rapid community testing.

Relief also came for some of the most vulnerable as family and friends were allowed to visit care home residents for the first time in eight months.

Two visitors for each resident will be allowed twice a week, provided the visitors test negative for the virus. Physical contact is allowed using infection control measures.

Mixing of households outside support bubbles remains banned under the guidelines, although individuals can meet in groups of six outside.

London is in Tier 2, meaning pubs where food is served and restaurants can reopen, obeying social distancing rules.

But in Tier 3 areas, which take in some 23 million people and includes Britain's second city Birmingham, hospitality venues will remain closed except for takeaways.

Shopkeeper Robert, in Manchester, northwest England, said rates of infection had fallen in the city and surrounding area in recent weeks, but the area was in Tier 3.

"It makes no sense to me. And especially all the businesses now - hospitality... pubs, restaurants, bars, etc. - they're going to suffer," he added.

The restrictions have prompted fresh concerns for the economy, which Chancellor Rishi Sunak said is facing a 11.3-percent contraction this year - the worst in 300 years.

Those fears were stoked further this week by the collapse of retail group Arcadia, which owns popular high-street stores Topshop and Burton, and the Debenhams chain.

They have been forced into administration, blaming the impact of coronavirus restrictions on trade already under pressure from online competitors.

More for you

Police officers in Trafalgar Square, London

Police officers in Trafalgar Square, London

Photo: iStock

New Respect Orders to target repeat perpetrators of anti-social behaviour

The government on Friday announced that they will introduce new Respect Orders as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.

The measure, a modernised version of the anti-social behaviour orders that were introduced by the last Labour Government, is aimed at the most serious offenders who plague town centres and neighbourhoods with anti-social behaviour.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Faulty' pre-Horizon Post Office system led to hundreds of prosecutions

Exclusive: 'Faulty' pre-Horizon Post Office system led to hundreds of prosecutions

Ecco+, another pre-Horizon IT system that was introduced to post masters between 1992 and 1999, was also likely to be faulty due to which hundreds of sub post masters were prosecuted by the Post Office, a leading sub postmaster representative has said.

Speaking to Asian Trader today (22), Calum Greenhow - Chief Executive Officer at National Federation of Sub Postmasters (NFSP) stated that Ecco+ system that was introduced between 1992 and 1999 also created problems for sub post masters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bestway Foundation UK donates £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Bestway Foundation UK donates £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Lord Zameer Choudrey CBE SI Pk, Chief Executive of Bestway Group, and Dawood Pervez, Managing Director of Bestway Wholesale, presented a cheque for £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) at Bestway Group’s Head Office in Park Royal, London last week.

This significant contribution reflects Bestway's ongoing commitment to supporting impactful charitable initiatives that make a difference to the lives of young people across the UK. The presentation was attended by Ruth Marvel OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Laura Puddefoot-Knaggs, Head of Philanthropy and Clare Harris, Senior Relationships Manager from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Bestway Board of Directors, including Sir Anwar Pervez OBE H Pk, Chairman Bestway Group.

Keep ReadingShow less
GroceryAid: supporting grocery colleagues over the festive season

GroceryAid: supporting grocery colleagues over the festive season

As we head into the busiest time of the year for the grocery industry, GroceryAid is urging people to reach out to them if they find themselves struggling.

The charity helps grocery workers and their families through difficult times and offers a range of financial, emotional and practical support. This includes support for people facing stress, anxiety, low mood or loneliness, as well as debt advice and impartial financial support through GroceryAid’s online financial hub.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sugro UK partners with Britvic to launch industry-first sample box

Sugro UK partners with Britvic to launch industry-first sample box

Leading wholesale buying and marketing group Sugro UK has collaborated with Britvic Soft Drinks, a global organisation with 39 much-loved brands sold in over 100 countries, to launch a groundbreaking Fast Food Sample Box.

The sample box is specifically designed for ICS UK LTD customers, giving them a unique opportunity to sample and experience new Fast Food soft drinks offerings firsthand.

Keep ReadingShow less