Britons flocked to the high street to take advantage of shops and restaurants reopening on Monday as surveys reported consumer confidence at its highest level in nearly three years.
Customers braved chilly temperatures to queue outside their favourite shops as they waited for department stores and boutiques in England and Wales to open for the first time in more than three months.
Consumer sentiment in the UK rose to 108.5, the highest level since August 2018, according to data from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).
Paul Marchant, chief executive of budget retailer Primark, which has 161 shops across the UK, told The National that the retailer had enjoyed "a wonderful morning … welcoming our customers back".
Shoppers lined up outside Primark as well as luxury department store Selfridge’s on London’s Oxford Street from about 6am, while about 1,000 customers lined up at Ikea in Bristol before its reopening.
“As expected, stores have been very busy but we're more than ready and very confident in the safety measures we have in place, " Mr Marchant said. "The mood has been incredibly upbeat and positive.”
Mr Marchant said the company’s spring/summer ranges “are proving popular as customers finally get to shop for the latest trends”.
Alison Grainger, Marks & Spencer’s head of clothing and home, said the retail chain has also stocked its stores with “tiered dresses, pretty tops and new seasonal denim” to meet demand.
“We know lots of customers are excited about dressing up for picnics and alfresco dining with friends & family,” she said.
"While it’s no longer all just about loungewear, as you would expect we’re going to be dedicating more space to casualwear in our shops than pre-pandemic."
By midday on Monday, footfall across all UK shopping destinations was up 100 per cent compared with a week ago and 350 per cent higher than 2020, according to data from Springboard.
Retail parks, such as Bicester Village, a popular outlet shopping destination, were the preferred choice for shoppers, with footfall up 12.6 per cent at 10am compared with 2019 levels.
Meanwhile, the YouGov/CEBR analysis showed that consumer confidence has risen steadily since Prime Minister Boris Johnson first unveiled his roadmap out of lockdown in February.
In March, Britain’s consumer confidence score increased by 2.1 points to 108.5, with any score above 100 indicating that more consumers are confident than not.
Rising business activity and optimism about household finances and provided the biggest boosts to the score.
The British Retail Consortium said businesses have spent millions of pounds to make shops Covid-secure, with Marks & Spencer, for example, installing a greeter at the door, John Lewis offering customer services hosts and Ikea putting in place staggered entry.
Marks & Spencer said changes in its stores from Monday help customers shop faster and in as socially distanced a manner as possible.
The retailer said it has seen a 200 per cent increase in downloads of its app and over one million transactions via its Mobile Pay Go digital shopping option, something it expects to continue.
Sacha Berendji, operations and property director at M&S, said the pandemic has “accelerated” trends and patterns it was seeing pre-crisis, causing it to transform its shopping experience for customers.
Shoppers can use the store app to scan their purchases and pay through their phone, while nearly 100 M&S cafes will be available for takeaway with 14 also available for dine-out eating outside.
Hospitality venues, including restaurants, cafes, museums, zoos and theme parks also welcomed customers back on Monday, as well as gyms, beauty salons, spas and swimming pools.
Julian Metcalf, chief executive of the sushi chain Itsu, told the BBC he was hopeful demand would pick up as people returned to the high street, but admitted he felt “a bit nervous”.
England's hospitality sector will receive a £314 million ($430.5m) boost in the first week after the reopening of the country's restaurants, cafes and pubs, according to the Cebr.
Before the pandemic, hospitality was the third largest employer in the country, providing jobs for 3.2 million people and creating £130bn in economic activity, UK Hospitality said.
“Reopening of pubs and other hospitality businesses outdoors is a step forward for the full reopening of our sector. Safety of our staff and customers remains our top priority,” the trade body said.
Britain's economy is set to bounce back sharply from the surge in business activity, with a study from Deloitte finding that chief financial officers are more optimistic now than at any point in the past 13 years.
The Federation of Small Businesses found that more than half of firms expect revenue to rise over the next three months.
However, 40 per cent of Britons expect life to return to normal in the next year, according to a new study from the World Economic Forum and IPSOS, compared with 60 per cent globally.
While shops are planning to stay open for longer, it is unclear if the surge in demand on Monday morning will last long enough to help retailers recoup their lost earnings.
To ensure the recovery stays on track, Britons will need to spend the huge pile of savings they have built up in their bank accounts during the three lockdowns, with major banks calculating the figure to be as high as £170bn – a stimulus package worth almost 8 per cent of pre-pandemic gross domestic product.
Meanwhile, buyers heading to car showrooms for the first time since January 5, will be welcomed with a wider range of clean vehicles than ever before, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
There are now 152 "clean" car models available out of a total of 462, said the SMMT, a choice that could help the sector recover the £22.2bn in lost turnover during the pandemic.
However, a full recovery by the end of the year remains highly challenging for the sector, with new car registrations during the first quarter of this year down 37 per cent on the average for 2010-2019.
For levels to return to normal by the end of the year, keys to a new car would need to be handed over every 12 seconds.
“With the widest and greenest choice of cars ever seen, unleashing pent up consumer demand can accelerate the industry’s recovery and that of the economy,” said Mike Hawes of SMMT.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Read more about the coronavirus
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
Range: 520km (claimed)
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Belong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Askew%20and%20Matthew%20Gaziano%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243.5%20million%20from%20crowd%20funding%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
