Don’t forget small shops in high street’s fight for life – The Yorkshire Post says

THE British Retail Consortium’s concerns for the future of prestige destinations is understandable – many city centres, such as Leeds and Sheffield by way of example, still resemble ‘ghost towns’ as office staff continue to work from home in unforeseen and unprecedented numbers.
The outlook for shops remains bleak, warns the British Retail Consortium.The outlook for shops remains bleak, warns the British Retail Consortium.
The outlook for shops remains bleak, warns the British Retail Consortium.

This lack of footfall has already led to thousands of job losses – and many more staff are fearing the worst. “With rents accumulating, and the September quarter payment date fast approaching, many retailers are hanging on by a thread,” warns Helen Dickinson of the British Retail Consortium today.

Yet, with the number of new cases of Covid-19 each day reaching perturbing levels, it’s also important that the plight of small shops and family-run independent businesses is recognised after appearing to be overlooked by the BRC in its latest critique.

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They, too, are in a fight for survival. They’re also leading by example on social distancing, limiting the number of people entering stores at any one time, while most of the major supermarkets now appear to be taking a more lackadaisical approach compared to just a matter of weeks ago when they had stricter protocols in place.

Parts of Leeds city centre continue to resemble a ghost town.Parts of Leeds city centre continue to resemble a ghost town.
Parts of Leeds city centre continue to resemble a ghost town.

And it is why the BRC should be reminding all shops – large and small alike – about their societal duty to place the health of customers, and staff for that matter, first at all times. The current double standards on many high streets across Yorkshire do not bode well if this county, and country, is to avoid a return to the more draconian lockdown restrictions which have left Britain – and the retail sector in particular – facing such a deep recession.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

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