The shops, food chains and businesses open now including Ikea, McDonald’s and Dunelm
RESTAURANTS, homeware shops, and garden centres are among the businesses back open, after coronavirus lockdown restrictions have been eased.
Many are only open for takeaway services and social distancing restrictions are in place.
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All non-essential shops were forced to close on March 23, after Boris Johnson brought in the lockdown to stem the spread of the virus.
Only those selling “essential” items were allowed to stay open including supermarkets, DIY shops, chemists, and post offices.
In the past month, some have started to reopen after the Prime Minister unveiled a three-stage roadmap for getting the country back on its feet.
From Monday June 1, car showrooms and open air markets will return and from June 15 a number of other non-essential shops will follow.
They will have to follow strict guidelines, including providing hand sanitiser, regularly cleaning shops, and not allowing customers to try on clothes or make up, in a bid to stem the spread of the virus.
While charity shops, for example, will have to quarantine donated stock for 72 hours before sorting.
Here we explain which shops have already reopened and how they have changed to fit in with government guidance.
Which food restaurants and fast food chains are open?
Burger King
Burger King started reopening branches in April for drive-thru and delivery.
It then added 72 more to the list on May 18 and has said it'll reopen all of its 500 restaurants by the end of the month.
Restaurants are open for drive-thrus or deliveries only via Deliveroo and Just Eat, which charge a fee depending on how far away you are from the restaurant.
There is also a limited menu but classics such as the Whopper, Chicken Royale and Bacon Double Cheeseburger will still be available.
To find out if your local is open, you can.
Costa Coffee
For those in need of a caffeine fix, Costa Coffee has now reopened 316 of its 2,700 branches across the UK.
It started with four cafes opening on April 24, including those in Manchester and Bristol, for drive-thru and delivery and it has gradually been adding to the list - although hospital branches remained open.
Today, the coffee chain reopened 97 more branches.
Cafes are either open for drive thru, takeaway or delivery orders only via Uber Eats. To find out if yours is open, .
COVID-19 secure guidelines for non-essential shops
BEFORE non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen they must ensure that:
- Individuals are able to keep their distance from people outside of their households.
- They're reducing the risk of transmission by limiting the number of people that individuals come into contact with.
- Changing shift patterns to reduce the number of people in the office at one time.
- Keeping workspaces ventilated.
Five Guys
Five Guys kept 13 restaurants open for delivery and click and collect orders and then opened 16 more at the end of April.
It has been slowly adding to this list and currently has 69 of its 104 restaurants open across the UK click and collect and delivery orders.
The chain is providing its full menu and customers can order food for click and collect via the Five Guys website, or as a home delivery order with Deliveroo.
Five Guys doesn't charge extra for click and collect orders, and there is no minimum spend.
With Deliveroo, you'll need to spend a minimum of £5 and pay a delivery charge of £2.99 per order.
Greggs
At the start of May a small number of branches in the North East on a trial basis.
It has now confirmed 800 stores will open in mid June.
The chain temporarily closed all 2,050 shops in March, even though it was allowed to stay open for takeaway orders.
KFC
The fast food chicken chain now has more than 500 branches open for delivery and drive-thru orders.
If you're ordering KFC for delivery, you can do so through Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats.
Each of these food ordering apps will have their own delivery fees, so remember to check this before completing your order.
It is running a limited menu to help keep workers safe, so not all options are available.
You can keep an eye on store updates on the .
Marks and Spencer Cafes
M&S has reopened 49 cafes for hot drinks for customers when visiting the supermarket.
It started with just five and then increased the number for takeaway hot drinks.
The cafes, which are located in M&S stores across the UK, have been selected as they're next to the foodhall.
McDonald's
The fast food chain reopened 39 drive-thrus on Wednesday, May 20. This included 33 restaurants in England and six more in Dublin, Ireland.
Five branches in the UK are also open for delivery only, and several restaurants open for drive thru are also offering home delivery.
We have the full list here but you can also check to find your nearest.
The fast-food chain plans to reopen 975 more branches for drive-thru and delivery from June 2.
It means that 1,019 of its 1,428 restaurants in the UK and Ireland will have reopened, including all drive-thrus.
Orders must be a maximum of £25 and delivery delays are to be expected as McDonald's has fewer staff to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Although the fast food chain is open, not all meals can be purchased from the menu.
McDonald's has a limited menu but many fan favourites from the Big Mac to chicken nuggets are included. It has also said McMuffins will be back on the menu soon.
Nando's
Nando's reopened 54 branches for takeaway and delivery orders on May 26, with 39 more following yesterday, May 27.
It initially opened six branches in London and Manchester for delivery orders at the end of April.
With these restaurants, customers were only able to order via Deliveroo and not through the restaurant directly, which they can continue to do.
But now, click and collect orders will be able to be placed online via for some restaurants too.
Pizza Express
The high-street pizza chain has reopened 13 restaurants in London for delivery services today, May 28.
The chain will be running a limited menu from branches, including Notting Hill, Balham and Fulham, where it is most popular.
Pret a Manger
Pret started by reopening 10 branches in London on April 16.
It then reopened a number of other restaurants across the UK, and now has 101 open.
Pret today announced it'll reopen 204 more branches from this Monday, June 1.
Customers can only make takeaway or delivery orders.
Delivery is available through Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats, depending on the shop location.
Only a limited menu will be available including Pret's most popular sandwiches, salads and baguettes.
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Shake Shack
Burger chain Shake Shack reopened two of its London restaurants (Tottenham Court Road and Canary Wharf) for takeaway and delivery in April, and a third (Mansion House) is now open too.
Customers are able to place takeaway orders in the restaurants themselves, or order food for home delivery through Deliveroo.
The company has introduced social distancing measures designed to keep staff and customers safe.
These include face masks for all employees, floor markers, contactless pick-up and delivery, and allocated pick-up zones for delivery riders.
Shake Shack is also offering delivery to SW11 postcodes in London from a Deliveroo kitchen in Battersea.
Starbucks
Starbucks has reopened 150 of its UK stores - for drive-thru and takeaway orders from May 14, before opening more stores from May 21.
It hasn't revealed exactly which stores have been reopened but customers are advised to check the to see if their local branch is open.
It is serving a "near-complete" range of beverages including lattes, cappuccinos, iced coffees, teas and frappuccinos.
TGI Fridays
There were already 24 TGI Fridays branches open for delivery and takeaway when the chain reopened 10 more yesterday, May 27.
Branches are open for click and collect orders, and the majority also have home delivery options.
For click and collect orders, customers can pay for their food on the TGI Fridays website before collecting it from outside their nearest restaurant.
The inside of restaurants and seating areas remain closed to the public.
Home delivery orders are made through Deliveroo or Just Eat, depending on your location.
Both food delivery apps charge a delivery fee based on how far away you are from the restaurant while click and collect from TGI Friday is free.
Wagamama
Branches of Wagamama are being opened on a gradual basis and it says 67 will be open by the end of June.
There are 48 branches currently open, of which 20 reopened today, May 28.
The Japanese-inspired restaurant chain started by reopening four kitchen sites for delivery orders only on April 30.
For home delivery, you'll be able to place orders via Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats, depending on your location.
These apps all charge a delivery fee, so remember to factor this into your order.
Customers will also be able to order food for takeaway at a handful of branches through the Wagamama website.
Once your order is ready, you'll be able to head down to their chosen restaurant to pick up your food.
Shops allowed to stay open
ONLY a small group of retailers have been allowed to stay open during lockdown, they include:
- Supermarkets
- Pharmacies
- Takeaways and food deliveries
- Health shops
- Medical services – eg, dentists
- Vets
- Newsagents
- Pet shops
- Hardware stores
- Retail shops in hospitals
- Petrol stations
- Bicycle shops
- Laundrettes and dry cleaners
- Undertakers
- Banks, building societies
- Short-term loan providers, credit unions and cash points
- Storage and distribution centres
- Post Offices
- Car rental services and car parks near vital services such as supermarkets
- Public toilets
- Car garages and repair shops
- Food banks and shelters
Which homeware shops are open?
Non-essential shops including homeware shops were told to close on March 23.
These are separate to DIY or hardware shops, such as B&Q, Wickes, and Poundland which were deemed as essential and allowed to stay open.
DFS
Last week DFS opened three showrooms in Bolton, Leicester and Milton Keynes.
It will reopen the rest of its stores in stages, with 88 of them to welcome back shoppers tomorrow, May 29.
Customers will be able to browse and shop in stores, but there will be social distancing measures in place.
Dunelm
Dunelm has reopened the doors of all 151 shops across England and Northern Ireland.
It says stores in Wales and Scotland will remain closed in line with guidance in those countries but these shops are open for click and collect.
It's also introduced a host of safety measures for inside stores and for deliveries.
Furniture Village
Furniture Village reopened all 52 of its UK shops at the weekend.
The furniture retailer has safety measures in place in its newly reopened stores - including every customer having their temperature checked before they enter stores.
Customers are also being asked to sanitise their hands before they start shopping and there are directional markers on the floor of stores to remind people to stay two metres apart.
Ikea
The Swedish chain has confirmed 19 of its stores will reopen on June 1.
All play areas and restaurants will remain closed and while customers will not be allowed to eat in store, they will be able to purchase food from the Swedish food market.
The Bistro, which operates a contact-free takeaway service, will open but safety measures will be in place.
These safety measures include two-metre distancing, screens, cashless payments only, and deeper and more frequent cleaning routines.
Matalan
Matalan started welcoming back shoppers to its stores on Monday, May 18, with strict social distancing measures.
The 38 reopened stores are located in out of town retail parks. They have large homeware departments and come with parking outside.
Matalan has around 230 branches across the UK. You can find your nearest one using .
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ScS
All of ScS's 81 shops in England reopened at the weekend.
All reopened stores will have strict safety measures in place to keep staff and customers safe.
This includes asking shoppers to keep two metres apart, and limiting the number of customers allowed in stores at one time.
What other businesses have now reopened?
A number of businesses closed in April even though legally they were allowed to stay open.
Some have now started reopening branches including the following.
B&Q
B&Q closed all physical shops on March 25, and customers were only able to use home delivery and click and collect services to buy goods.
The hardware chain initially reopened 14 branches mid-April after watching “other essential retailers support social distancing measures”.
B&Q then reopened all 288 branches at the start of May.
The DIY chain, which has been classed as an "essential" retailer during the coronavirus crisis, said reopened stores will follow strict social distancing measures.
Halfords
The bike and motoring retailer yesterday announced it's reopening 53 stores.
Halfords has been allowed to stay open throughout lockdown but it shut stores and operated online and from store car parks instead.
Of the 53 branches, 49 had yesterday already reopened with another four set to open their doors again this week.
Homebase
All of Homebase's 164 stores were reopened at the start of May
It had continued to trade online while shops were shut, but began the process of reopening its shops at the end of April.
You can find your nearest store .
It isn't offering some services, such as kitchen design appointments, key cutting or some concessions, including Bathstore and Rug Doctor carpet cleaners, which you can normally hire for 48 hours.
But it said as soon as these are available it would let customers know.
You also won’t be able to use the reserve and collect service, which enables customers to reserve items online and pick them up in store.
Poundland
The discount retailer has kept most branches open but did close some because of the lockdown.
It has been reopening them on a gradual basis, with 51 stores reopened last week and 26 more opening their doors this week.
Poundland says it is working closely with shopping centre landlords to reopen the last of its 40 closed stores as soon as possible.
Wickes
Wickes began a partial reopening of shops last week with 214 now reopened.
Social distancing measures include limiting the number of people in its stores at any one time.
There will also be clear signage and floor markers to ensure people remain two metres apart and perspex screens have been installed at the tills.
Sanitising stations will be made available for customer use, staff will be using PPE and the shops will only accept card and contactless payments
What shops have reopened their online sites?
When the lockdown was announced in March, several businesses closed their doors and online websites.
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Now, they have begun reopening including:
- Debenhams - while it didn't close its website, Debenhams has announced that it plans to reopen its 90 stores from June 15
- John Lewis - Similar to Debenhams, John Lewis didn't shut online operations but it plans to reopen branches on a phased basis. The first 13 stores will open on June 15
- Next - it's also reopening 25 stores from June 15
- Quiz
- River Island