Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Primark is set to reopen all its stores in England on June 15, with its stores in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland expected to follow later in the month.
The fashion retailer’s owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), said it expects to have 281 of its branches open by mid June, including 112 of its stores in Europe.
It said it is awaiting further guidance regarding stores in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but anticipates openings in “late June”.
It follows the government’s announcement that non-essential shops in England will reopen on June 15, if they can meet the Covid-19 secure guidelines to protect shoppers and workers.
Among the safety measures being put in place are the installation of hand sanitiser stations, perspex screens at tills and additional cleaning of high frequency touch points in the store.
There will be a limit on the number of customers allowed in the store at any one time so that customers and employees can adhere to social distancing rules.
Personal protection, including mask and gloves, will be made available to all employees.
Since Primark shut all its doors on March 11, it has been losing about £650m a month in sales.
In a statement, the company said: “As European governments have begun to ease restrictions on clothing retailing we have been able to reopen stores.
“Safety has been our highest priority in our detailed preparations to welcome our customers and employees back to stores. We are following government safety advice in all markets.
“Importantly, we will apply the valuable experience gained from more than 100 stores which are already open as we open the remainder of our estate, including stores across the UK.”