Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown lays out non-essential retail’s spring time reopening

Boris Johnson’s roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions across England have offered the light at the end of a long tunnel for non-essential retailers, and the suggestion that doors will be reopening from no sooner than April 12th this year.

The plans were detailed amid a roadmap out of lockdown delivered by the Prime Minister to MPs this afternoon. Johnson is expected to give a televised broadcast to the public at 7pm this evening.

It follows what has been many weeks of a third national lockdown with the earmarked date signifying the end of what will have been at least 14 weeks of closed doors amid the non-essential retail landscape, longer than the closures of the country’s first lockdown in March last year.

Taking priority, however, as talk turns to the country’s easing out of lockdown restrictions, is the return of all pupils to classrooms, followed by relaxed rules around socialising and the eventual reopening of non-essential shops and businesses.

During the course of the third national lockdown, food shops, supermarkets, off-licences, pharmacies, and garden centres have all been categorised as essential retailers.

Market stalls selling essential goods, petrol stations, medial providers, vets, launderettes, banks, post offices and building societies have also been permitted to remain open throughout the lockdown.

Non-essential shops include everything from clothing, books, department stores and technology stores, and of course, toy shops.

Mr Johnson said that from 12 April, under step two of lockdown easing, non-essential retail will reopen. This is along with hairdressers and nail salons.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said that retail has a low impact on the transmission of the virus.

Prior to the last lockdown, Sage recommended that “opening non-essential retail safely would require a significant effort to ensure that environments are appropriate to minimise transmission (for example social distancing and hygiene measures, ventilation)”.

This means that rules relating to social distancing, the wearing of face masks and a limit on the number of people allowed inside a shop are likely to continue when shops do eventually reopen.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “We welcome the additional clarity provided by the Prime Minister. While we are encouraged by a plan for non-essential stores to reopen, the heavy impact of the pandemic means some may never be able to.

“The cost of lost sales to non-food stores during lockdown is now over £22bn and counting. Every day that a shop remains closed increases the chances that it will never open again – costing jobs and damaging local communities.

“Non-essential shops are ready to reopen and have been investing hundreds of millions on making themselves Covid-secure. Government should remain flexible and allow non-essential retail to reopen as soon as the data suggests it is safe to do so. Until it is permitted, retailers will need continued support from Government.

“We welcome the PM’s call ‘not to pull the rug out’ from under businesses. To this end, the Government must act on three vital issues – rents, rates and grants.

“To avoid further job losses and permanent job closures, the Chancellor must announce a targeted business rates relief from April and extend the moratorium on debt enforcement, as well as removing state aid caps on Covid business grants. This would relieve struggling businesses of bills they cannot currently pay and allow them to trade their way to recovery.”

Condé Nast to open first immersive beauty specialist Allure Store in New York City

Condé Nast has detailed the upcoming launch of its first Allure Store to New York City’s Lafayette Street, billing the concept store as an immersive shopping experience that will feature a curated selection of the world’s best beauty products, led by Allure’s own trusted editorial voice.

The Allure Store will open as a stand-alone brick and mortar store, in partnership with STÔUR Group and will bring a physical touchpoint to the Allure offering, inviting shoppers and the beauty community at large to join the brand’s audience of over 25 million readers.

Allure is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year having seen a 20 per cent year on year increase in traffic and a 25 per cent year on year increase in time spent – a reflection, it states, of how consumers are increasingly reliant on the insights and product recommendations from trusted beauty experts.

“The Allure audience has shown that it’s intensely loyal and trusts our expertise – something we are so grateful for. We’re thrilled that the Allure Store provides us with the opportunity to really connect with them, and to truly bring the brand to life,” said Michelle Lee, Allure’s editor in chief.

“This space will allow us to introduce our brand to new beauty enthusiasts and expand the Allure family.”

The store has been designed to ’embody the future of retail’ and crafted to ‘reflect Allure’s print and digital experience while integrating the brand’s unparalleled expertise’. The store will offer the best of makeup, haircare, and skincare brands that have been featured in Allure.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Allure Store, designed to bring the brand to life with a unique and immersive shopping environment where customers can shop by Allure’s globally respected headlines for a truly seamless experience,” said Markus Grindel, managing director, global brand licensing.

“The store marks an expansion of our direct-to-consumer experiences across the globe, and we hope that this news excites those looking ahead to when in-store shopping resumes.”

Spanning 2,900 square feet over two floors, the store shelves will mirror Allure’s content themes including the iconic Best of Beauty Awards, with seasonal product changes. The store will implement augmented reality capabilities for customers to try on products, as well as smart mirrors, and will be a hub for content creation. In addition to shopping, Allure’s editorial team will regularly host in-store events, tutorials and masterclasses.

The Allure Beauty Box, a handpicked selection of editor-approved beauty products that launched in 2012, has been a success among subscribers, with revenue up 20 per cent year on year.

The Allure Store will open its doors on Lafayette Street in New York City in Fall 2021. Allure is published in the U.S. by Condé Nast and in South Korea under license agreement with Doosan Group.

Viewpoint | WildBrain CPLG’s John Taylor explores the global shift and trends for 2021

Major changes are taking place across both the licensing and retail landscapes, and it’s not all driven by the pandemic. Yes, the arrival of the coronavirus on a global scale has influenced some sweeping evolutionary moves for businesses the world over, but it has only acted as a facilitator of the inevitable changes that were upon us.

Here, John Taylor, VP Northern Europe and MD UK and France at WildBrain CPLG talks us through a selection of the biggest trends he believes will go on to define the year 2021.

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With 2021 underway and the industry navigating changes to the licensing and retail landscape brought on by the global pandemic and other forces, I’d like to explore five key trends that we at WildBrain CPLG expect to see this year and what we think they will mean for brand owners.

Sustainability accelerates 

For several years, the licensing industry has been discussing how we can make our business better for the environment, and how we can play a part in protecting our planet for future generations. There’s been significant acceleration in this area and a clear shift in priorities, with sustainability now an urgent focus for many businesses.

Plans for developing more environmentally conscious products and packaging are being worked into licensing agreements, which is an extremely positive step. 

Some good examples we’ve seen include The LEGO Group pledging up to US$400 million over three years to accelerate its sustainability and social responsibility initiatives, and Hasbro phasing out plastic from new toy and game packaging. 

I anticipate we’ll also see more brands making sustainability a focus not only in product development, but also in marketing activities. Last October, our partner Peanuts Worldwide launched a fantastic multi-year initiative called ‘Take Care with Peanuts’ as part of the brand’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

The campaign directly draws from Charles Schulz’s beloved comic strips and reminds all of us to be good global citizens, with caring for nature and the environment forming a key part of this. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re looking forward to delivering great licensing partnerships which uphold this ethos to support the campaign.  

I’d also like to extend a huge congratulations to Helena Mansell-Stopher, CEO at Products of Change, for her work in pulling together the first Sustainability in Licensing Conference last year. It’s clear the licensing industry is committed to doing more to protect our planet, and seeing everyone come together to share ideas and knowledge was really inspiring.  

Supporting retail innovation 

Retail has always been a huge part of my career, and I have great respect for all those working in the sector – I still find myself tidying shelves and rearranging displays when I’m out shopping! It used to be that the industry would only assess the state of the retail landscape on an annual basis, which then became every quarter as e-commerce began changing the way we shopped. Now, with the current pandemic, retail is being discussed in the news on an almost daily basis. 

Given the pace at which the retail landscape is changing, its important the industry comes together and works closely with retailers to ensure we understand their challenges, needs and ambitions. Now, more than ever, licensors and licensing agents need to provide the innovation and tools required for retailers to stand out and keep their customers coming back for more. 

Navigating through COVID

While we can look to the horizon with optimisim, there is little doubt that COVID will still be affecting the industry throughout the year – particularly when it comes to forward planning and strategies. This pandemic has highlighted how important it is for brand owners and retailers to have not only a Plan A, but also Plans B and C and beyond, which gives them flexibility to effectively react and adapt to changing circumstances. These plans should be centred around aspects of the business they can control and where possible be informed by data and insights.

Consumer buying habits have changed significantly, from both where they are buying and what they are looking for, so staying on top of purchasing behaviours and trends will be very important. Sound contingency plans will ensure businesses of all sizes are equipped to face whatever surprises and opportunities may arise. 

Shifting consumer habits 

With a lot of the population spending much more time at home, we’ve seen notable changes in the types of products consumers are seeking out. Unsurprisingly, there’s been a big spike in home improvements and renovations as people make their surroundings not only more functional, but also more comfortable. 

Licensing has seen positive benefits from this shift in purchasing, with growth in the homewares category and also in toys and games as families spend more quality time together. The World of David Walliams, for example, has shown huge growth for us this year with the brilliant collection from University Games. 

Many new licensing opportunities are also opening up due to the increased time spent at home. Brand owners are exploring categories they previously had not considered or which may not have been a priority. For example, we recently secured a deal on behalf of Osprey London for a garden furniture range, which wasn’t in our plans at the start of 2020. We’re also in discussions with many other potential new licensees who have never ventured into homewares licensing before, but are starting to see the value of this revenue stream and now want to jump into our world. 

Streaming brands blossom

As we’re not expecting any tentpole movie releases until later this year, streaming is currently winning the attention of audiences. The growth of streaming has opened up some exciting retail and licensing opportunities for key titles available on major platforms. We’ve been blown away by the demand for merchandise from streaming shows in our portfolio, such as Sony Pictures Consumer Products’ Cobra Kai and The Boys – both major hits that made ‘most watched’ lists in 2020. In early 2021, we’re bringing fans products from such brands that they’ve been eager to find, and we’re excited to see how the industry capitalises on the potential these type of properties offer.  

Whatever 2021 has in store, this is definitely going to be a year businesses need to unite and support the whole licensing chain. Here’s wishing everyone a healthy and brighter year ahead. 

Boohoo buys Debenhams brand and website – but no rescue of high street stores or workforce

The online fashion giant, Boohoo has bought the Debenhams brand in a £55 million deal that will not include rescuing the retail chain’s physical stores or its workforce.

Instead, Boohoo plans to “rebuild and relaunch the Debenhams platform” as it continues in its ambitions to lead the fashion ecommerce market, while growing into new categories such as beauty, sport, and homeware.

The brand has even hinted at taking on the likes of Amazon in the ‘creation of the UK’s largest marketplace’ across the sectors, as it expands the range of products sold via Debenhams marketplace by maintaining current third party relationships and expanding further.

The deal does not include the rescue of Debenhams’ remaining stores, which, according to those close to the topic, are now likely to be broken up and sold to the likes of Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group.

The announcement brings an end to Debenhams’ high street brand, a position it has held since 1778.

Debenhams has around 300 million website visits a year, making it a top ten UK online retailer. It’s this strength that Boohoo will now build a relaunch from.

Boohoo chief executive, John Lyttle, said: “The acquisition of the Debenhams brand is an important development for the group, as we seek to capture incremental growth opportunities arising from the accelerating shift to online retail.”

Founder and executive chairman, Mahmud Kamani, added: Our acquisition of the Debenhams brand is strategically significant as it represents a huge step which accelerates our ambition to be a leader, not just in fashion eCommerce, but in new categories, including beauty, sport, and homeware.”

Debenhams had already announces significant job losses and the permanent close of six stores, including its flagship outlet on London’s Oxford Street.

NPD: UK toy market grows five per cent, fulled by games, puzzles, and kidult toy fans

The lockdown success of the games and puzzles market, a surge in the kidult market, and early Christmas trading all fuelled by the restrictions and implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, has helped the UK toy market hit a five per cent sales increase for its overall value.

According to the latest results from The NPD Group, total sales for the year hit £3.3 billion, helping the UK maintain its position as the largest toy market in Europe and the fourth largest in the world.

The biggest spike in toy sales of the past year came during the first nationwide lockdown, throughout which toy sales increased by 22 per cent. The NPD has cited the nation’s rediscovery of the value of play to stimulate children and adults, as well as alleviate pressures imposed by the stay at home messaging alongside the closure of tourism, hospitality, and leisure.

Games and Puzzles saw the highest category growth with a 19 per cent increase, as families spent more time playing together. Puzzles, which can be enjoyed both in groups and individually, increased by 38 per cent.

Building Sets and Outdoor Toys also experienced significant growth in 2020, growing by 18 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Good weather in the spring and early summer lockdown provided opportunities for families to bring fun and add in some exercise to combat the increase in indoor screen time. They also had the benefit of helping to compensate for missed holidays at Easter and in the summer.

The periodic closure of schools also meant that many parents turned to educational toys for assistance to help bolster their children’s cognitive development. This drove a nine per cent increase in sales of Learning and Exploration toys such as Scientific Sets and Musical Instruments.

‘Kidults’ now responsible for more than one quarter of toy sales

In addition to these trends, the industry witnessed yet further evidence of the kidult market’s appetite for toys.

This adult and teen category now represents 27 per cent of total toy sales, up by 16 per cent since 2016. In 2020, with more time on their hands, kidults completed complex building set kits, played more games and entertained themselves with puzzles.

As this group tends to purchase higher priced toys, their buying power helped increase the average sales price of toys overall.

Meanwhile, with concerns over shortages of supply and of delivery capacity, people were urged to shop early for toys in Christmas 2020. The result was a very strong November for the toy market, that saw sales increase 11 per cent year on year. This was, however, followed by lower than usual sales in December – down nine per cent year on year – exacerbated by lockdowns in November and December.

Classified as essential retail and therefore able to remain open during lockdowns, grocery chains fared well for toy sales in the last two months, up ten per cent year on year.

Joining the click and collect debate, The NPD Group has said that online services ‘proved to be essential’ for retailers operating within the confines of lockdown and social restrictions. Britons moved online to buy their toys throughout 2020 as retailers adapted and maximised their omnichannel offering to reach them.

As a result, in the 12 months ending September 2020, online toy sales grew to almost half of all sales.

Frédérique Tutt, global industry analyst at The NPD Group, said: “The top 15 sellers of the year tell much of the story for toys in 2020. We turned to toys and games to help fill the long weeks of lockdown.

“Toys provided the hub for fun, entertainment, education, exercise and stress relief. They helped make the decidedly abnormal feel normal – especially at Christmas. Manufacturers and retailers worked hard to meet the need for toys of all kinds for all ages, shifting sales to online and Click & Collect, and to grocery chains to fulfil demand. 2020 accelerated changes already underway in the toy sector and underlined the importance of innovation, strong supply chain and channel management.”

Roland Earl, director general at the British Toy & Hobby Association, added: “2020 was an extremely challenging year for retail as a whole, and toy retailers of all sizes had to adapt and innovate in this difficult environment in order to ensure consumers could still obtain the products they require.

“The end of year statistics reflect the role that toys and games played in bringing enjoyment and assisting families and individuals to navigate the difficulties of repeated closures and lockdowns. Despite varying functions, objectives and age suitability, all toys are ultimately designed with one overarching goal – to bring fun, enjoyment and play value to the recipient and never has this been more important.

“Looking ahead to 2021, the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic will remain for some time, though toy designers will continue to innovate during tough conditions to ensure families have access to the items they want and need.

“Brexit will continue to have an impact on all industries in 2021, and the toy sector specificially will continue with its thorough preparation following the deal announced at Christmas.”

NPD’s Tutt, concluded: “One thing is certain, the importance of playing together with toys, games and puzzles as a family, group or alone has been re-established during the lockdowns.

“Many people have also rediscovered the value of nature and the environment in the pandemic, and one encouraging sector trend is that green issues have come to the fore, and many manufacturers are reducing packaging and incorporating eco-friendly materials in their products.

“Finally, when cinemas hopefully reopen later on in the year, blockbusters will boost toy sales once again.”

Chancellor details £4.6bn relief package for retail, hospitality, and leisure as England enters third lockdown

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has detailed a £4.6bn relief package for the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors that will offer UK businesses a one-off grant worth up to £9,000.

The measures were announced this morning, following a public message from Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night that England is to enter a full lockdown period for a third time in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the latest developments surrounding a new strain of the virus here in the UK.

The payments, detailed by the chancellor on Tuesday, January 6th, are expected to support 600,000 business properties across the UK. A further £594 million will be made available to councils and devolved nations to support businesses not covered by the new grants.

Sunak said: “The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge – and whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further.

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we’re announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the spring. This will help businesses to get through the months ahead – and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they able to reopen.”

The third national lockdown will once again see the closure of all retail, hospitality, and leisure facilities deemed non-essential. A lesser blow to the toy industry than the previous national restriction measures imposed in the build up to the Christmas shopping period, its impact will still likely be felt across the indie retail network.

The cabinet secretary, Michael Gove, this morning said that he hoped the gradual lifting of restrictions could begin mid-February, but that the time it will take for the vaccines to take effect meant it was likely to be at least another couple of weeks before measures could start to be eased.

It is likely the measures will be in place until March this year.

“We can’t predict with certainty that we’ll be able to lift restrictions the week commencing February 15th,” he told Sky News this morning. “What we will be doing is everything we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated so that we can begin progressively to lift restrictions.

“I think it’s right to say that, as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions – but not necessarily all.”

School closures of course mean that children will now be spending time at home, offering up more opportunity to the toy industry to capitalise on the need for home learning resources and toys. Many independent retailers are already primed for yesterday’s news, having implemented click and collect and delivery services throughout the course of England’s lockdown throughout the spring/summer of 2020.

Games Workshop partners with The Koyo Store for Warhammer 40,000 collectables

The entertainment merchandise specialist, The Koyo Store, has secured the global rights to create a range of officially licensed Warhammer 40,000 collectables through a new partnership with Games Workshop.

The deal marks a major success for The Koyo Store as the range will not only be sold through Games Workshop’s own High Street stores, but also available for fans to buy direct at www.thekoyostore.com/collections/warhammer-40000.

The initial Warhammer 40,000 product line-up, available in-store and online and encompassing a range of pin badge collections based on popular characters and artifacts in the game world, will include Mystery Faction Pins, Paint Your Own Space Marine pins, and a Space Marine Chapter Icon 12 pin collection.

The New Year will see the addition of a selection of Artifact 3D pins, A Diorama pin set, and a Legendary Character 12 pin set.

Games Workshop is the latest major IP owner to join The Koyo Store’s burgeoning collectables line-up, which also includes partnerships with Ubisoft, (Rainbow Six Siege), PUBG, Toei (Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super), Capcom (Street Fighter) and HBO (Game of Thrones)

“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Games Workshop and the Warhammer 40,000 brand,” said Lee Townsend, founder and CEO of The Koyo Store. “We’re rapidly expanding our roster of first-class licensing partners, both within the video games industry and the wider entertainment markets. We are excited by what 2021 has in store. We already have three new licenses in the wings that are under NDA.”

The Koyo Store’s high-quality pin badges, coins and other unique merchandise have proved a hit among games, Esports and TV and film fans who are looking for great collectibles and the opportunity to claim bragging rights within their peer groups.

Based in Lancashire, the firm’s team has a strong and varied skillset, with designers, retail experts, gamers and pop culture fans working to produce epic merchandise and collectibles.

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group in ‘potential rescue talks’ with Debenhams

Retail tycoon Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is in talks over a ‘potential rescue transaction’ for the British department store Debenhams. The brand fell into administration last week, putting some 12,000 jobs at risk.

Frasers has said that it was ‘in negotiations with the administrators of Debenhams’ UK business’ on a possible deal, but it has warned that time is short for the retail brand.

In a stock market statement, it said: “Whilst Frasers Group hopes that a rescue package can be put in place and jobs saved, time is short and the position is further complicated by the recent administration of the Arcadia group, Debenhams’ biggest concession holder.

“There is no certainty that any transaction will take place, particularly if discussions cannot be concluded swiftly.”

Details of the talks were first disclosed over the weekend by The Sunday Times.

Finance director Chris Wootton reportedly said that under the deal, Frasers would “hope to be able to save as many jobs as possible.”

Debenhams announced that it was to wind down its business and close all 124 stores after JD Sports ended discussions over a rescue deal for the struggling department store chain. Talks ended between the two companies following the collapse of Arcadia Group.

The sports chain was the only remaining bidder for the company, but with the news of the collapse of Arcadia Group last week – the biggest concession stand operator across Debenhams stores – so too came the decision of JD Sports to terminate its talks of a takeover.

Debenhams slid into insolvency in April this year and has been on the search for a buyer since the summer. Without a buyer, the business faces going into liquidation or being wound down. This spring saw Debenhams axe 6,500 jobs. Its current predicament puts a further 12,000 at risk.

Debenhams to close all 124 stores as JD Sports rescue talks are terminated

Debenhams is to wind down the business and close all 124 stores after JD Sports ended discussions over a rescue deal for the struggling department store chain. Rescue talks ended between the two companies following the collapse of Arcadia Group yesterday afternoon. The latest developments now puts 12,000 high street retail jobs at risk.

The sports chain was the only remaining bidder for the company, but with the news of the collapse of Arcadia Group yesterday – the biggest concession stand operator across Debenhams stores – so too has come the decision of JD Sports to terminate its talks of a takeover.

In a brief statement to the London Stock Exchange, the company said: “JD Sports Fashion, the leading retailer of sports, fashion and outdoor brands, confirms that discussions with the administrators of Debenhams regarding a potential acquisition of the UK business have now been terminated.”

Debenhams slid into insolvency in April this year and has been on the search for a buyer since the summer. Without a buyer, the business faces going into liquidation or being wound down. This spring saw Debenhams axe 6,500 jobs. This morning’s news now puts a further 12,000 at risk.

Geoff Rowley of FRP Advisory, the joint administrator to Debenhams, said: “All reasonable steps were taken to complete a transaction that would secure the future of Debenhams. However, the economic landscape is extremely challenging and, coupled with the uncertainty facing the UK retail industry, a viable deal could not be reached.

“The decision to move forward with a closure programme has been carefully assessed and, while we remain hopeful that alternative proposals for the business may yet be received, we deeply regret that circumstances force us to commence this course of action.”

Debenhams’s former chairman Sir Ian Cheshire said that the business had been caught out with too many high street outlets on long rental leases.

“You’ve got to be so much faster and so much more online,” he said.

It comes as some 13,000 staff of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group face an anxious wait following the business collapsing into administration. The high street giant, which includes the Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Burton brands, has hired Deloitte to handle the next steps after the pandemic “severely impacted” sales across its brands.

Ian Grabiner, chief executive of Arcadia, said: “This is an incredibly sad day for all of our colleagues as well as our suppliers and our many other stakeholders … in the face of the most difficult trading conditions we have ever experienced, the obstacles we encountered were far too severe.”

Rise in shoppers planning to stay local this year, as “support for indies has never been so important”

With the Prime Minister’s confirmation that all non-essential shops will be able to reopen across England when the nation-wide lockdown lifts on December 2nd playing like music to many a retailer’s ears amid the essential Christmas shopping period, independent toy shops are rallying the message that ‘shopping local has never been so important.’

A still self-isolating Boris Johnson made the announcement to the House of Commons via a video link yesterday afternoon, confirming that retailers who have been deemed ‘non-essential’ will be able to open their doors to Christmas shoppers in time to meet the crucial golden quarter sales. The PM stated that as the lockdown lifts, a stricter and more stringent three-tier system will be put into place across the country.

The confirmation has arrived as a note of assurance to an independent toy retail scene who had – widely speaking – felt ‘stitched up’ by the numerous loopholes that others had managed to negotiate in order to remain open under the ‘essential retail’ banner, and subsequently capitalise on the current demand for toys and games. It was a general mood that provoked the British Toy and Hobby Association to pen an open letter to Number 10 imploring Johnson to offer assurances to the trade.

Yesterday’s confirmation has been welcomed by bodies such as the British Retail Consortium and independent retailers across the country, who see the move as a silver lining as they prepare now for the all important Christmas shopping season. However, there’s no illusion that it will be an easy ride, and more than ever, they say, it is important to promote the message of #shoplocal.

Small Stuff, an award-winning, independent eco-conscious children’s lifestyle store and community space was invited on to Times Radio as Johnson made the announcement to talk about what this now means for the country’s independent retail scene.

In a tweet posted last night, the retailer stated: “Positive news that we can reopen on the 2nd Dec. We will be opening safely with plenty of measures in place. The message of #shoplocal has never been so important – support us if you can.”

A new research paper created by Visa in partnership with the Centre for Economic and Business Research, however, suggests that the mountain retailers now face this quarter, may not be quite so treacherous after all. The socio-economic paper nopw suggests that as many as four in five Brits plan to support local businesses as much, or more than, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The research – launched alongside Visa’s Where You Shop Matters Christmas campaign (one that champions Britain’s local, independent businesses for a third consecutive year) – suggests that 54 per cent of British consumers plan to do some of their Christmas locally this year, whether that is online or in store. Three in five consumers are concerned that independent businesses will not survive if their local community does not back them through this time.

Visa and CEBR go on to state that for every £10 spent with local businesses, more than a third stays within the local area. When it comes to customer intentions this Christmas, Brits currently spend just over one fifth of their money locally, but will be willing to spend half with local independents this year.

What’s clear is that the impact of the pandemic this year has given rise to the ‘altruistic customer’, a term coined by BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson in reference to the shopper who intends to spend more with local retailers this year in show of support of the community.

At the same time, she stated, it has ‘accelerated the importance of “social purpose” of the retailer.

Speaking on the latest developments and the announcement of shops reopening on December 2nd, Dickinson said: “Shops – from high streets to retail parks – play an integral role in the run-up to Christmas.

“While retailers have stepped up their online delivery over the course of 2020, the bulk of Christmas shopping tends to be done in store. The Government’s decision to keep all of retail open will help to preserve jobs and the economy and help keep Christmas a festive occasion for everyone.”