Shoppers celebrate leap out of lockdown by queuing for four hours in the blazing sunshine for Ikea flat-packs
BRITAIN took a giant leap back to normality yesterday by queuing for flat-pack furniture.
On the day lockdown began to ease in England as outdoor markets and car showrooms reopened and competitive sport resumed, thousands of shoppers used it to full advantage by waiting up to four hours in the blazing sunshine to get inside an Ikea store. Queues snaked for half a mile around car parks while police reported gridlock.
Competitive sport started yesterday morning with a 90-mile pigeon race from Kettering to Barnsley and a greyhound sprint at Perry Barr dog track in Birmingham, won by the history-making Im Sophie at 6/1. (The winning pigeon won’t be known until later today.)
The first horse race held behind closed doors in Newcastle got under way in the afternoon and was followed by a snooker tournament in Milton Keynes at which the players had all tested negative for Covid-19.
Outdoor markets were back in business, including Camden market in north London, while a stallholder in Yorkshire selling shoes was patiently disinfecting any pair tried on by customers before being put back on display. Meanwhile, motoring dealerships opened with a rush for cars from people desperately seeking an alternative to public transport.
The early evidence of green shoots in the high street was encouraging, as one study suggested the number of shoppers out and about was up 36 per cent on last Monday. “It appears that even though only markets and car showrooms have opened today in addition to essential stores, shoppers are heading back into bricks and mortar destinations,” said Diane Wehrle, of analysts Springboard.
Buoyant trade was only the half of it. Families were finally reunited after a lockdown relaxation allowed groups of six people from two households to meet in open spaces including back gardens. About two million of the most vulnerable people, who had been shielding since March, also got their first taste of outdoor freedom after a weekend change in the regulations.
“I’m just ecstatic,” said Rachel Kennard, 21, who saw her parents yesterday at their home in Goytre in south-east Wales. Her mother suffers from Huntington’s disease and Miss Kennard moved out to keep her safe. The stressful 10 weeks included the death of Miss Kennard’s great grandmother – the funeral had to be livestreamed – while her father’s close friend died of Covid-19.
“I’ve missed them so much, and being an only child and having such a close relationship with both my mum and dad has made this so hard,” said Ms Kennard, “I honestly couldn’t wait. It feels like it’s been forever.”
Matt Forde, a comedian who has not left his gardenless flat in London since lockdown due to severe asthma, said: “I didn’t expect to feel so emotional about it, but it’s a huge relief. I’m still aware that it’s dangerous and that I have to be
careful, but the occasional walk outside is a huge difference. Just having sun on my face is amazing.”
Maisie Masterman, 21, a trainee teacher from The Wirral, gave her grandparents a 63rd wedding anniversary to remember by visiting them for the first time in almost three months. “To finally see them again was like a little bit of normality,” said Ms Masterman.
For many people though, it was enough to have Ikea open again. The retailer opened 19 stores in England
‘I couldn’t believe my eyes. A few people had been here since dawn and the queue was half a mile long’
and Northern Ireland, with shoppers lining up from 5.30am at many of its stores, more than four hours before the 10am official opening time. In Ashton-under-lyne, near Manchester, roads became gridlocked and it took an hour just to get into the car park and a further two hours in the queue. Local resident Miah Askir said: “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I arrived. A few people had been here since dawn and the queue was half a mile long.”
Car dealers were also doing brisk business. At a Subaru-suzuki dealership in Ashton-under-lyne, Andrew Ogle, the franchise manager, said: “It is much busier than I anticipated. People have been coming into the showroom all day.” Cars in the showroom remain locked unless a customer shows specific interest while many dealerships’ insurance policies now allow would-be buyers to test-drive cars alone.
Howard Heaton, a trader at Hawes market, North Yorkshire, was busily spraying his shoes after customers tried on a pair.
“We’re going to sanitise the inside of the shoes and the outside of the shoes with a disinfectant spray after they’ve finished trying on,” he said.
After a miserable three months, Mr Heaton, like every other retailer big and small, will hope to clean up.