POUNDLAND is set to reopen 29 of its 84 temporarily closed stores this Friday – and more will reopen in the next few weeks.
The discount retailer temporarily closed 84 stores from January due to the third national lockdown.
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Of the stores to reopen, 18 are in England, five in Scotland, one in Wales, four in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland.
The remaining 55 shops will reopen in the “coming weeks”, Poundland said.
Some stores in big shopping centres might not reopen until April 12, when non-essential shops can restart under Boris Johnson’s lockdown roadmap plans announced on Monday.
Poundland said it is working closely with landlords and shopping centres on reopening stores.
It decided to shut 44 stores in January this year, after reporting an 80% drop in customers visiting some stores due to the third coronavirus lockdown.
Which 29 stores will open on Friday?
A third of Poundland’s 84 stores which were temporarily closed due to the third national lockdown will reopen this Friday (February 26) from 8am.
Of these stores, 18 stores are in England, five in Scotland, one in Wales, four in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland.
Here’s the full list:
England – 18 stores:
Barrow in Furness Hindpool RP
Bletchley
Barrow in Furness Hindpool RP
Bletchley Brunel SC
Bridgwater Angel Place SC
Burnley 82 Charter Walk SC
Colchester Culver Street
Farnham
Gateshead Metro Centre SC
Haverhill
Hereford
Kidderminster Worcester Street
Liverpool Williamson Square
Mansfield Four Seasons SC
Middlesbrough Captain Cook Square SC
Newcastle under Lyme Castle Walk
Ormskirk Two Saints RP
Oswestry
Trowbridge
Scotland – five stores:
Clydebank
Inverness High Street
Kirkcaldy
Motherwell
Perth
Wales – one store:
Swansea Fforestfach RP
Northern Ireland – four stores:
Belfast Castlecourt SC
Enniskillen Erneside SC
Londonderry Ferryquay Street
Newry Buttercrane SC
Republic of Ireland – one store:
Dublin Mary Street
An extra 40 were closed in the following two to three weeks.
Most of the stores closed were in towns where there are two Poundland shops.
Meanwhile, the rest of its 800 stores have remained open under the third lockdown.
Frontline shop workers went back to work yesterday to prepare the stores that will reopen.
Barrier screens will be put in place at checkouts, and regular cleaning will take place in stores.
Customers will have to keep to social distancing rules in store and wear masks.
Poundland has dubbed its reopening plans “Operation Spring Back”, which follows the PM’s announcement on Monday that Britain could be back to normal by June 21.
Schools will be prioritised, with kids set to return to the classroom on March 8.
On April 12, non-essential shops, hairdressers and barbers can reopen.
Gyms can reopen for individuals and pubs and restaurants can serve food and drink to punters outside.
On May 17, two households can mix indoors overnight, pubs and restaurants can allow customers indoors, and up to 10,000 fans can go to stadiums for sport and big events.
June 21 will see all other restrictions lifted.
Poundland retail director, Austin Cooke, said: “The roadmap is good news for retailers and our town centres which have such an important role to play in our recovery, and our colleagues and customers will be delighted that we’re re-opening in these locations, and so are we.”
The third lockdown has not been the only time Poundland had to close some stores temporarily due to the Covid crisis.
In the first 2020 lockdown, the retailer shut around 120 shops in March and was able to start reopening them from the end of May.
The phased reopening began in mid-May when 30 shops began welcoming back customers, followed by another 15 branches a few days later.
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