TOP OF THE SHOPS:
RELIEF AND DELIGHT AS PUBLIC HIT SHOPS AGAIN
IF you walked down Market Street yesterday lunchtime, you’d be forgiven for thinking that life was entirely ‘back to normal’ on the city’s shopping thoroughfare.
Thousands of shoppers packed into stores, buskers were belting out songs, there were even those charity ‘chuggers’ trying to get you to sign up for a subscription at every turn.
It was the first day of lockdown restrictions easing across the UK, and the first time since Christmas that the people of Greater Manchester have been able to head out to the shops.
And there was certainly a Boxing Day sales atmosphere in the city, with many heading out at the crack of dawn to queue outside Primark and the Arndale Centre’s JD sports and Size trainer stores to be the first in line for bargains.
For many it was simply a relief to be out of the confines of their house for the first time in months, doing something ‘normal’ again.
Stocking up on new Primark underwear for the first time in a year like 70-year-old Pat Mason from Ancoats, or getting some new clothes for the kids like 30-year-old Salford mum-of-two Kayla Bowers.
Pat, proudly wearing her Manchester bee mask, laughed: “I had to come out to Primark to get some new undies – it’s been a year!” Kayla said: “I’m back in work tomorrow having been off since Christmas so it’s just nice to get out today and do something normal.”
The comments were echoed by young and old all day – people talking about doing ‘something normal,’ and enjoying being out in the city once again with friends and family.
There was the lure of a mega bargain too over at the city’s landmark Debenhams building which has reopened for its massive closing down sale.
Although walking through the aisles of the once-booming department store as the shelves were being stripped empty of bargain perfumes and electricals, while rows of redundant mannequins eerily looked on, felt really rather sad.
But with prices slashed by up to 70 per cent in the store, it’s not hard to see why people were so eager to head back out onto the high street even if it did mean braving the crowds and even if it was just for an impulse buy of some cut-price cereal bowls.
However, many of those who decided against a trip into town
expressed their disbelief at the scenes of a packed city centre. There are clear worries that so many thousands of people suddenly mixing together inside shops is going to have an impact on coronavirus cases across the region.
Most people were doing their best to follow social distancing measures and wear face masks in the queues outside stores and also inside – but in the busiest hotspots like Primark at times it did feel quite overwhelming.
And no one wants to see scenes like those outside the Arndale first thing yesterday where people were pushing and jostling just to be first to get inside a shop for a pair of trainers.
But, whether you agree with the timetable out of lockdown or not, this is the start of Manchester getting back to business, and the city needs the support of consumers every step of the way.
And yesterday, there was absolutely no doubt the people of Manchester did that in droves.
HAIR WE GO AGAIN - AT LAST: PAGES 6&7