Retailers warn of lockdown ‘carnage’ on the high street
‘NIGHTMARE’ IN RUN UP TO CHRISTMAS
NOTTINGHAM business owners fear that a second lockdown will be “carnage” for the high street.
The Government announced the whole country will be under lockdown from Thursday until at least Wednesday, December 2.
Under the new restrictions, nonessential businesses, including many shops, pubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, gyms and hair salons will have to close.
It has come at a key time for trading in the run up to Christmas and many businesses will now have to rely on online sales as premises are forced to closed once again.
Fran Bishop, owner of children’s clothing company The Pud Store, has shops in Mansfield, Newark and Doncaster which all have to close under the lockdown rules.
The former Apprentice contestant said: “It makes no economic sense. We have to find a middle ground to protect people’s health but at the same time not stand back and let Rome burn.
“For the first time there feels like there is no plan from those in leadership - are we as a society just expected to keep going in and out of lockdowns indefinitely?
“Not only that there is a cost here to our children’s futures - they have already lost so many experiences - at what point do we say enough is enough?”
Kevin Lomas, owner of the Flying Horse Vapes store in Flying Horse Walk, Nottingham, said: “It’s a nightmare. Where do we go from here?
“Our Nottingham shop has not recovered at all from the first lockdown. We run 10 shops nationally, and they are just performing so badly. There’s no one in the city centre anymore. Offices are shut. Our takings are down 60 to 70 percent.”
Speaking about the potential impact on Christmas sales, he said: “I was speaking to a friend and said to them if retailers don’t have a good Christmas then the high street is going to be a very bleak place.
“I think January will be carnage for a lot of companies.”
Sarah Maloy owns Shop Zero in St James’s Street which sells food such as rice, pasta, lentils and cereals loose and shoppers either fill up their own containers or use paper bags provided. The plastic-free shop will be able to remain open as it is deemed an essential retailer.
But Dr Maloy said she fears a huge drop in footfall once again as her overheads remain the same.
“I’d encourage any shopper to think locally and try to support the smaller businesses where they can
because they’ll need it,” she added.
“We do a click and collect service and still do plastic-free postal deliveries. Our website is fully up and running now so that helps.
“The reserves are getting lower and we don’t know what support we are going to get in terms of grants. It’s a very worrying time and we all want everyone to stay healthy. But we want the high street to be still here when we come out of this.”
Jonathan Rigby, coowner of comics and graphic novels store Page 45 in Market Street, said: “From a business perspective we have a product people still want and have orders online that we can ship around the world. But we are going to lose some turnover overall, it’s just a question of to what extent.”
Lucy Stanford, manager of Nottingham’s Business Improvement District (BID) said: “While we appreciate we all need to play our part in keeping everyone safe, we are also fully aware that the restrictions put in place will cost businesses and organisations that bring life to our city centre dearly.
“Alongside the financial stimulus that is required, we need to think about the longer term. While many of us predicted the second wave earlier in the summer, we simply do not know where this pandemic is going and whether further restrictions might happen.
“The Nottingham BID is here to provide as much support as we possibly can during this period of uncertainty.”