SHOP AND CHANGE
» Top boss backs wide pavements & no cars » Plans a catalyst to brighter High St future
TOWN centres should be radically overhauled to make them more shopper friendly, says a retail chief.
John Bason, the finance boss of Primark’s parent company, backed changes to the high street including banning cars, widening pavements and having queue markers outside stores during Covid-19.
He added he welcomed any measures that boost the “appeal of the high street” rather than “car-choked traffic jams”.
It comes as the Government urged councils to put social distancing measures in place before thousands of shops reopen in two weeks’ time.
Other suggestions from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government include one-way pavement arrows, passing points, moving bus stops and having marshals.
Primark plans to reopen all 153 stores in England on June 15, followed by those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Stores will have one entrance and shoppers will be counted in and out. Fitting rooms will stay closed. Mr Bason said it had yet to be given details by the Government about how many customers stores were allowed per square metre, or the quarantine time period for returned items. And despite a mountain of unsold REVAMP Primark’s John Bason gear, he insisted: “We are not going to have some massive sale to get people back.”
Most non-essential stores are allowed to resume trading from June 15.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak hailed the move marked a “major milestone in our
plan to kickstart the economy.” Marks & Spencer yesterday gave details of measures in place when most of its clothing store reopen that day. It warned people that customer services, including bra, suit and shoe fitting, will remain closed, as will its popular cafes.
Mobile phone firm O2 says it will have a “virtual” queuing system, when stores in England reopen, with customers sent a text message when they are ready to be served by a sales assistant.
Yesterday open-air markets and car showrooms were allowed to reopen.
The Mirror has championed struggling town centres with our High Street Fightback campaign. There are now growing calls for the resumption of trading to be used as a catalyst to deliver long-lasting changes and level the playing field with big online rivals.