‘Non-essential’ retail ordered to close in Welsh and Irish lockdowns

Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford revealed that the new measures, which include a “requirement to work from home” for everyone other than critical workers and a ban on social mixing indoors and outdoors, come into force on Friday and will run until November 9.

An additional £300m of emergency resilience fund financing will be made available to businesses affected by the ’firebreak’ lockdown, which includes hospitality as well as retail.

Companies covered by small business rates relief will receive a £1,000 payment, and small and medium-sized retail, leisure and hospitality businesses that must shut will be entitled to a one-off payment of up to £5,000.

Wales has relatively few big retail centres compared with England, but leading names such as John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Primark all trade at Cardiff’s St David’s centre, the capital’s biggest mall.

Drakeford said a “short, sharp shock” was needed to address coronavirus and maintained: ”It will have to be sharp and deep in order to have the impact we need.”

In the Republic of Ireland, where many UK and international retailers trade, non-essential retailers will also have to close under new restrictions lasting up to six weeks. Irish trade body Retail Excelence reacted with dismay to the latest measures. 

Managing director Duncan Graham said: ”Retailers have been contacting us extremely concerned and upset at closing their business for six weeks at the most important trading period of the year. ‘Non-essential’ retailers generate over 70% of annual turnover over this quarter and these further restrictions will inevitably push many more businesses into insolvency.”

The lockdowns came days after greater restrictions were imposed in England, including London being moved into the Tier 2 risk category, and as the government clashed with Manchester mayor Andy Burnham over whether or not the city should be placed in Tier 3 – the most severe category.