Plea for a ‘Shop Out to Help Out’ scheme to save struggling stores

RETAILERS are urging the Government to launch a Shop Out to Help Out scheme in the summer to boost struggling independent stores after lockdown rules are eased.

Save the Street, a campaign group backed by retail expert Mary Portas and beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury, is calling for a scheme similar to the Eat Out to Help Out programme, which saw customers flood restaurants when Covid restrictions were lifted last August.

Shop Out to Help Out would give customers 50 per cent off the price of goods from independent retailers up to a total of £10 from Mondays to Wednesdays for a month.

It should be open to shops with fewer than ten employees which sell through bricksand-mortar locations rather than online.

The cost would be paid by the UK Government from levying a sales tax on web retailers.

UK stores have lost £27billion of sales during the pandemic, missing out on crucial pre-Christmas and Easter trade.

Households have saved up more than £170billion since the pandemic began, as opportunities to spend have been limited.

Miss Portas said: ‘We need to act now and harness the support, need and love that people have for our high streets.’