Dealers reopen in England
Shops in England reopen, with Wales and Scotland set to follow
Dealers in England have been given permission to reopen. As of Monday, June 1, motorcycle dealerships, along with car showrooms and outside markets, resumed trading but have to follow guidelines designed to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The Government has already produced a list of things for dealerships to consider, including sanitiser stations and one-way systems in showrooms.
“We’re ready to reopen and really looking forward to getting back to business,” says Clive Walton, Director of J W Groombridge, in Sussex. “We’ve got posters up at the door, telling people what we expect of them before entering the shop. We have hand sanitiser and face masks available, and inside we’ve marked out twometre distances on the floor.” Dealers have already reported strong interest from customers, with Colchester Kawasaki Operations Manager Melissa Olivieri saying: “We’ve noticed a huge increase in enquiries for commuter bikes.”
For now the rules only apply to England, however M&P Motorcycles in Swansea say they’re prepared for the moment the rules change in Wales.
“We’ll close all but one door and we’ll have someone there to make sure only a few people are allowed in at any one time,” says M&P Director Mark Collings. “Anyone wanting to try on clothing will have to wear disposable gloves and a balaclava. “We’ve been flat-out doing parts by mail order as well as bike sales with contactless deliveries. Used sales are up 30% and there’s lots of interest in scooters, suggesting people want to bike to work (see right). It’s a positive picture for biking right now!”
O ‘It’s a positive picture for biking right now!’ MARK COLLINGS, M&P DIRECTOR