Good luck to those in non essential settings tomorrow....

[Thorilicious]

I'm certain that you're going to be having a very busy day. I hope that customers are kind to you tomorrow.

I’ve already got the sick nervous feeling for reopening tomorrow!
Fingers crossed people will be kind, but it won’t be long into the day before we’re sworn at etc.
Good luck everyone.

You won't catch me in town at the shops tomorrow that's for sure! My DD wants to look in Claire's Accessories for a phone case for her new phone but I told her I won't be taking her!
I understand the sick feeling though because I felt the same when the schools opened up fully. From going to a class of 15ish children, to 60 around me sent my anxiety through the roof

@SheepPixie that's awful that you feel that way. I haven't worked in retail for over 30 years and I have pretty happy memories of the time. I have friends who still do and have some absolutely awful tales to tell. I don't understand why people have to be so bloody horrible to people just doing their job. I hope you have a nice day tomorrow and it's not as bad as you fear.

Hoorah, the shops are opening. I will be being kind by going to my favourite shops and buying stuff so they have a vague chance of staying open.

So many empty shops on our High Street now!

Our local Debenhams is one that is opening short term as part of the closing down, selling off stock sale. I already feel sorry for the staff.

I don't start till Saturday but will be in a library, lone working for the first time ever, with new systems that are not yet up & running. It's only 3.25 hours so will either fly or really drag. Kind of hoping it's not too busy until the systems are in place & I've had more practice!

I’m gutted, should be back at work at non-essential and am self isolating as DH has COVID. Really sad to be missing tomorrow

I am going shopping tomorrow with a huge smile on my face (under my mask of course!). I shall be lovely to everyone I see.

I feel like this is the beginning of the end of all this shit.

Yes good luck

I’ve been in essential retail all the way through. Non food.

It’s been brutal. Never dialled 999 as much as I have the past year!

Yes, good luck to all.

My niece has been working on supermarket tills (when not shielding) and her employer/manager has been great, but she got quiet a few arsehole customers every day who seem to go out of their way to upset staff.

Taking off masks, their putting head around barrier screens, licking fingers when counting cash, ignoring distancing, finding things to complain about etc and when asked politely not to, getting nasty. Says she is on tender hooks all day waiting for the next one.

Then she says some customers have been really lovely. Anyone out shopping, try to be aware of your surroundings, patient and be one of the lovely ones please.

I can’t wait!

We’ve all been in this week getting everything ready. It’s going to be crazy busy hopefully but I’m so ready to get back to it.

@Bluebird2021 why have you been dialling 999?

My friend works in a shop. She said after lockdown 1 she'd never done as many refunds in her life, and she said the few days between gov announcing the November lockdown, and the shops closing was absolutely mental, like black friday every day, and no hope of social distancing.

So do I

Good luck! It remember when they opened again here (Melbourne) was sheer bloody chaos with people going out. I avoided it for weeks- there were so many,people!

@Bluebird2021 sounds really tough. Was it customers being aggressive?

Dialling 999

For customers. A couple of anxiety attacks and one which led on to a nasty asthma flare up

Abusive aggressive customer.... when told to queue.

Theft... as we were open and many other stores weren’t it stands to reason that theft increased. Massively so. Desperate people stealing pretty much anything worth £30 upwards

And a customer punch up at the tills!

Sorry to be clear, that was a mixture of ambulance and police!

Ambulance service talked me through the anxiety attack with customer but came straight out for asthma attack

Also had more in store first aid incidents which we have dealt with. We have the choice as first widest wether to assist or not but really I haven’t given covid much of a thought when patching people up.

We are only a small shop and it will be capped at a max of 6 people/bubbles. So hopefully no punch ups!

We are however starting with a new till system, only just had the training last week. What could possibly go wrong? 😆🙈

I am going to queue at my local George at 6am ready for 9am opening as they have put so many photos on their Facebook of all the sale items and Christmas toys for £1 from £30 all bedding and duvets being sold at £1! Can't wait!

Yes, good luck to those of you this applies to, I used to work in retail management and know how hard it is likely to be and what hatd graft it is at the best of times. I hope you're all able to stay as distanced as the layout and sensibilities of the general public allows!

I'll be waiting several weeks before I visit shops until things have calmed down.

Yep, I’m dreading starting work again tomorrow (non-essential fashion shop).

There has already been a ton of work completed by us all to transfer all the old stock out of the shop and taking in dozens of boxes of new season stock. It all has to be scanned through the till/stock control system, as well as unpacked, hung, steamed and merchandised onto the shop floor with the excess stored in an upstairs stock room...and that’s all before we face the general public tomorrow!

Most of our customers are polite, lovely, adhere to masks/social distancing rules etc. But a fair few are difficult, self-entitled and don’t appear to know the current guidelines, or simply don’t care...I’m very anxious about it all...

Hope everyone has had a good day