Under the intense scrutiny of the press and the public – between them seeking headlines and a return to something resembling normality – non-essential retailers across England juggled unparalleled levels of complexity within their operations to reopen stores to customers.

It was always going to be a challenging day. Things were not always going to go to plan. Retailers and shopfloor staff will be learning on an almost hourly basis about further changes they could make to improve the customer experience as they adapt to the beautiful constraints of physical retailing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But in the main, retail’s resilience, ability to adapt and unique qualities as a people-led industry all shone through when they needed to most.