When it was announced that non-essential shops could open on the 15th June there was a mixed response. Some people believed it was way too soon, but for others, the opening of shops couldn’t come soon enough. For me and my slight (huge) shopping addiction, I felt very conflicted. On the one hand, I was desperate to go to an actual shop – online shopping just isn’t the same! On the other hand, I was unsure of whether shopping was actually the safe and right thing to do. Then there were the videos of crazy queues outside shops (particularly Primark) and I decided that I needed to wait a bit before leaving the safety of my own home.
I waited a week then went to a local shop, a shopping centre, and a city centre to compare the experiences and now I’m sharing what I found for those of you who are unsure whether shopping is safe.
The local shop:
“I would urge anyone going to non-essential shops to start with the local shops – they have been hit especially hard by Coronavirus and are a key part of the community.”
My village centre has a very nice little boutique and that was the first non-essential shop I went into. They only allowed two people into the shop (which was perfect because it was just my mum and I), there was hand sanitiser in the entrance and a one-system. It was a great shopping experience and it felt amazing to be in a shop and supporting a local business. But I also felt very safe which is key. I would urge anyone going to non-essential shops to start with the local shops – they have been hit especially hard by Coronavirus and are a key part of the community.
The Shopping Centre:
This was the most anxiety-inducing experience, mostly because everything is inside. However, when I was inside the centre everything felt very organised. There is a one-way system with clear arrows to follow, most shops have one door for entering and another for exiting, and most importantly there are hand sanitiser stations throughout the centre. I definitely didn’t spend as much time there as I normally would and only went to the shops that I needed something from. Although I had a good experience, I wouldn’t be in a rush to go back.
The City Centre:
I chose to go into town on Sunday so whether that impacted my experience or not I’m not sure as everywhere was very quiet – I didn’t have to queue to go into any of the shops I wanted to. It was a nice and relaxing experience. All the shops had hand sanitiser and social distancing (which was respected by the people in the shops). It was great to be able to shop and get some fresh air. I was even able to get a take-out drink, so it felt more like a normal shopping experience.
“It is so important that we start adjusting to this “new normal” and shopping is the best way to start.”
My first trip to non-essential shops was strange and nothing like going to the supermarket, but now that I’ve been out once I would happily go again. All places had hand sanitizer, social distancing and a limited number of people in the shop. That first outing will undoubtedly cause stress, but after that you will feel better. It is so important that we start adjusting to this “new normal” and shopping is the best way to start.
Orla McAndrew
Featured image courtesy of @beccamchaffie via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Orla McAndrew
Orla McAndrew is a co-founder of Empoword Journalism and also a features and Instagram editor. As a freelance writer she has written for Stylist Magazine, The Yorkshire Evening Post, The Indiependent, The Hysteria Collective and SmallScreen. Currently she is an intern at Screen Yorkshire, and in September she was be starting her English Literature degree at the University of York.