Writing for The Sidmouth Herald, Vincent Page, owner and managing director of Antiques on High, shares his view that high street retailers must take a common sensical approach to how they choose to implement Covid-19 safety guidelines now that social restrictions have been removed in England.
Are you expecting your business to increase its turnover now restrictions have been relaxed? For many it may well have the opposite effect.
The general consensus of opinion seems to be that a majority of customers will continue to wear their masks in stores and retail premises and for that, given the current climate, we must be grateful, but there are those who feel as though this may be the opportunity to increase their turnover as people move around more freely and feel less inhibited.
We have been living under a regime of restrictions for well over a year and for many the chance to tear off their mask and throw caution to the wind may sound very inviting, but there are those in business who are very keen to survive yet feel thwarted by the easing of restrictions as it puts people at risk.
Do you wish to continue wearing a mask when you go into retail premises? Will you? Won't you?
It's all become a bit of a political statement rather than a case of your health, which when this started in March last year was exactly what it was, and without getting drawn into a political debate you have to say that the Government has done a pretty good job with the vaccination program despite any previous failings. Yet there is always someone who knows better, why is that? Shouldn’t we all just use good old-fashioned common sense?
Last year, we at Antiques on High shut our doors in both stores several days before the first lockdown was implemented as it was painfully obvious what was coming and we were concerned for the safety of those who work in the store and customers alike and didn’t want to put anyone at unnecessary risk, so why would anyone wish to do so now? Increase your turnover or decrease your life expectancy, this may be a decision we all have to make.
