What you need to know when braving the shops
When it comes to the easing of lockdown rules, there are two groups of people. Those who rush out on the first day for haircuts, shopping sprees and drinks – and those who chose to wait and see what happens.
If you’re in the latter group, then you may well have despaired about scenes of mega queues outside certain cut-price retailers.
But don’t worry – now things have settled down a bit, here’s what you need to know if you’re popping to the shops.
The world hasn’t reverted back to normal and Covid restrictions are still in place. So don’t be surprised if you have to queue in the streets to get into certain shops, which may take the shine of the experience.
One of the biggest areas of complaint in the last year when it came to shopping in the real world was mask wearing and enforcement. It’s unfair to expect shops to act like the police, dealing with aggressive mask dodgers. But expect a much tougher enforcing of the rules than last time.
Changing rooms aren’t likely to be open too, so the age-old problem of whether items will fit
(or suit you) will continue to be
decided at home for now.
Make sure you find out what the returns policy is for the store before you pay. If you want to take a few items home to try on, speak to a sales assistant first – don’t assume you can do this. Your right to return goods that are perfectly fine (not damaged or wonky) is at the shop’s discretion though your statutory rights (more later) are not affected.
Your rights remain the same and you can find out more in my guide at