The coronavirus pandemic has meant all non-essential businesses were closed when lockdown was announced on 23 March.
It’s had a detrimental impact on fashion shops across the UK. B2B magazine, Drapers reported in-store sales have dropped 84 per cent compared to 2019, and – despite online grocery sales surging – for the rest of the retail landscape things also look bleak.
Debenhams is closing five more stores across the UK, while Oasis and Warehouse have both permenantly closed after administraitors failed to find a buyer, which also includes around 2,000 jobs losses.
That said, prime minister Boris Johnson announced that all non-essential retailers can now reopen in England, including clothes shops, in the latest easing of lockdown restrictions. With Wales following suit from 22 June, and Scotland a week later