‘Most Britons still worried about visiting stores that don’t follow Covid norms’

Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of Brits are worried about visiting shops where there are no Covid-19 measures in place, stated a report on Thursday (9) citing recent research.

As per survey result spanning 5,000 UK adults by facilities management company Mitie, two-thirds (67 per cent) of shoppers those businesses more favourably that are able to show that they take Covid norms seriously.

Although most of the lockdown measures were removed officially on July 19 in the UK, most people and businesses are still sticking to some of the norms.

More than half (53 per cent) will only go into shops that have visible anti-Covid measures, said the report, adding that more than half of those polled (54 per cent) want to see an increased cleaning regime in place, while exactly 50 per cent would like to see hand sanitiser available for them in stores.

On the high street, 52 per cent want social distancing to continue, while 45 per cent still like the idea of mask-wearing being compulsory in shops, the survey’s findings stated.

Ensuring that the place has a regular flow of clean air was also a high priority for more than half of adults (54 per cent) while  28 per cent preferred the stores that have technology that reduces viruses from the air, such as ultraviolet light.

A fifth of UK adults (22 per cent) said they would spend about half an hour longer in a store if they could see anti-Covid measures such as increased cleaning and visible air ventilation were in place.

Daniel Guest, chief operating officer, Mitie Technical Services, said: “While the nation’s Covid restrictions are no longer in place, it is clear there remains concern from the public that shops, cafés and other retail premises are safe spaces to visit.

“By investing in measures like increased cleaning regimes and technology like UV light that can help kill viruses in the air, retail and hospitality businesses can keep their customers safe, prevent the spread of the virus and give consumers confidence to spend time on the high street.”

The study also found 36 per cent of respondents want to see an increase in touch-point cleaning when they are inside a shop or café.

And a quarter want shops to go as far has having temperature checks for everyone who uses the building.

Half (49 per cent) of those who took part in the survey think shops could be doing more to show they are Covid-secure.

More than half (54 per cent) even said they will choose to spend their money with businesses that can show they are putting Covid safety measures in place.