Fashion
Cloth shopping gets different as shops open in the UK after lockdown
- A different way of shopping after lockdown
- Cloth shops plan to reopen of 15th June
- Ensuring the safety of customers as shops open
June 11th, 2020: Customers shopping for clothes expect quite a different experience as the shops in England plan to reopen from the 15th of June, following the opening of their counterparts in Northern Ireland.
As clothes shops in England plan to be reopened on 15th June, the rest of the UK is expected to follow. With consumerism being complicated in the global coronavirus scenario, some people may dive back into this quick consumerism after being deprived for many months.
As UK fashion returns some will rush back and others may find themselves constrained by financial issues. Post-lockdown reports from around the world suggest a good chance of clothes splurge, following the quarantine period. On Saturday, a boutique in Guangzhou, Hermès collected a total of £2.1m after its reopening which set a single day in a single boutique record in the retail history of the country.
As the shops open, retailers aim to do whatever is in their power to give their customers the safety that they deserve. This means some basic rules will be strictly followed.
The in-store numbers of customers are to remain limited so queues may be expected outside the stores. To minimize face-to-face contact several entrances and exits will be used while everyone is to wear masks. With sanitizer pumps set by each desk, payments are encouraged to be contactless with the use of mobile payment services. Also, lifts are to be limited to one person or one family.
A greater challenge may be presented to jewelry and watch stores as this virus has the potential to stay on metal surfaces for much a longer time than fabric. Various steps are planned by stores to ensure the safety of their customers, these being some among many others.
When asked regarding physical distance shopping Helen Seamons, says; “You need a plan”. What she quotes means that the time for long browsing hours is now over and we must adapt to the online recce system which embodies screenshotting the pieces that you like.
As hard as it is for us, things will eventually get better. With newer ways being developed for safety, and advanced tools for measuring your size and height to get the right fit, online clothes shopping will eventually get easier. The new normal that we are adjusting to may be a strange place, but worth a try!
