RETAIL bosses across Winchester have begun drawing up plans to reopen, two months after the lockdown began.

With a raft of safety measures from hand sanitiser stations, personal protective equipment (PPE) and limiting the number of customers, shops are ready to start trading again.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday that car showrooms and outdoor markets will be able to reopen from June 1 “at the earliest”, followed by all non-essential retail on June 15.

Winchester City Council has said that it is working with business chiefs across the city to determine whether it is safe for the city's market to start trading again. 

Leader of the council, Cllr Lucille Thompson, said: "Markets are an important part of many high streets and we are working closely with the Business Improvement District, local Chambers of Commerce and Hampshire County Council to welcome people back to our district’s centres when the time is right. 


“We want to ensure everyone can visit our city centre or market towns with confidence, and that local shops can trade when the markets are present, and the stalls are in turn pitched with the space needed to socially distance. This is a complex piece of work but we hope that some market stalls will be able to trade in Winchester city centre next week and will share more information as soon as the plans are finalised.”

Members of Winchester Business Improvement District (BID) and shop owners are also discussing the best way forward.

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Paul Spencer, executive director of Winchester BID, told the Chronicle: “This continues to be an extremely challenging time for the business community and in particular for those which have been required to temporarily close. It is great news that some of these businesses will be able to reopen soon. Many have been adapting their operations to offer home delivery as well as online shopping or new online services and have preparations well underway to safely reopen their doors and are raring to go.

“As we slowly begin the recovery phase over the coming weeks and months I encourage anyone who is passionate about Winchester city centre to do what they can to support their local businesses. This is so important at this time.”

Gwen Curtis who runs Ellie and Bea in St Thomas Street says she will be asking customers to use hand soap when entering the shop and will be operating a one in and one out system.

“We need to get going again, we need to restart the business,” Mrs Curtis added.

“I need to read the government guidelines, fortunately we’ve got a website, but it isn’t a replacement for the physical shop.”

She continued: “I trade on the market as well as having the shop. I think the market will create a buzz, I think from there on people will want to come out and shopping without question.

“It is a social thing as well, more than just a transaction.”

More shops and businesses partially opening in Winchester Paul Morgan, owner of Warren and Son, in High Street, has been trading online but hopes to open on June 15, assuming the lockdown is eased.

“We want to open as soon as possible, we have part of our sales online via the website, but we have in the high street since the early 19th century and we would like to be able to open again,” he said.

“Clearly the challenge will be being able to make a success of our store despite the restrictions on retail in the new world.”

Mr Morgan said he would be introducing masks and other measures to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

Owner of The Consortium, in Jewry Street, Mary Robinson says as a furniture store, she could have opened on May 18 following changes to government advice but is waiting for advice from city retail chiefs.

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The Old Vine has also opened for collections

Director of Winchester Skoda and Hampshire Chamber of Commerce Mark Mills-Goodlet said he is “pleased and relieved” to be given the green light to return to work.

“We, like other car retailers have spent a considerable amount of time and money to ensure that our showrooms and aftersales departments comply with the strict social distancing measures to ensure that both our staff and customers remain safe.”

He continued: “I am also pleased to see that all non-essential retail will be able to reopen their doors on June 15th, and I do hope that people will continue to support the physical shops in the high street after they have been conditioned to purchase online because of the lockdown. I feel that local councils should ‘do their bit’ to aid this recovery by waiving city centre parking charges for a short period of time to tempt people back to the shops. Social distancing regulations will however impact on footfall and therefore capacity of the shops which will have an adverse impact on profitability moving forward.”

Pret a Manger has also announced that on June 1 it will be opening its High Street store for takeaway and delivery.