Our high streets are full of retailers who have been forced to completely shut down or restrict themselves to online only. Some brands are on the brink of collapse, with hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk – from shopfloor staff and marketing departments to farmers and factory workers further down the supply chain.

Even for those who continue to trade, the situation remains difficult. As purse strings tighten and shopping trips diminish, many of these retailers face falling sales and additional costs, such as PPE, rising import costs and the recruitment and training of tens of thousands of new staff.