You have probably heard that retailers in England can extend opening hours in December and January to help you make the most of the festive shopping season. In the announcement government sources said:

From Wednesday 2 December, as England returns to a system of tiered restrictions, 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 Monday to Saturday.

We suggest you call your local council to see what restrictions on opening hours will still apply in your area, if any…

What else will you need to consider?

We have created a short check list of issues that you may like to consider, as you will want to make the most of this opportunity to boost sales during this important period. We suggest you consider:

• Are you COVID secure? The government guidelines still apply.
• Do you have a pavement sign indicating you are open?
• Keep safe. Will you need to set up more hand sanitiser stations?
• Will you need to employ more staff?
• If you extend the hours of existing staff make sure their contract(s) of employment do not set limits, amend if they do, but be wary of exceeding statutory limits.
• Do you need to make security arrangements if carrying the day’s takings home late at night?
• Is your check out area sneeze proof – have you set up screens to keep staff safe?
• In smaller premises do you need to consider a limit to the number of customers in your shop? This will encourage customers to feel safe and relaxed shoppers are more likely to buy.
• If a queue forms outside make sure they have something interesting to view in your shop window.
• Finally, re-think your check-out counter/desk. Make sure you display a range of impulse buys to maximise sales.

We can help

If you need to bounce your ideas for maximising this opportunity to an objective third party – and one that has you best interests at heart – we are happy to oblige.

01 December 2020

Source material: Press release – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/boost-for-high-street-as-jenrick-extends-opening-hours-for-christmas-shopping