One of the advantages of the government easing lockdown restrictions over the last few weeks has been that charity shops across the UK are now allowed to re-open to the public.
At the end of May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed non-essential stores were allowed to welcome visitors again in a bid to kickstart the economy.
Non-essential retail premises, from clothes stores to book shops, were able to re-open from June 15th, so long as they adhered to Covid-19 secure safety measures.
Business secretary Alok Sharma said: “The high street sits at the heart of every community in the country. Enabling these businesses to open will be a critical step on the road to rebuilding our economy, and will support millions of jobs across the UK.”
Among the retailers that could start selling stock were charity stores, enabling these organisations to start raising funds for their causes again.
The British Heart Foundation recently reported they have been opening 750 of its shops following the new guidelines to continue raising money for vital research.
Allison Swaine-Hughes, retail director at the charity, said it will introduce new safety measures that will “continue to be reviewed as we go, in order to ensure we are doing everything possible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those who work, volunteer and shop with us”.
These include limiting the number of people allowed in the store at any one time; introducing walkway guidance to encourage one-way traffic; fitting Perspex screens at tills; boosting cleaning schedules; asking customers to pay by card; and holding donations for 72 hours before they are put on the shop floor.
Following a surge in donations during lockdown as Brits made use of the opportunity to clear out their homes, charity stores may need to look at non-profit recruiting agencies to find more staff to help shift this increase in stock.