Shops are open - anyone else not bothered?

[Wildswimming3]

I think im over shopping. The thought of queues and lots of people is very unappealing.

I'd love to have a lazy browse around a bookshop and then a leisurely sit in a coffee shop. Maybe also a browse for some crafting bits and bobs / inspiration. Doing that with a facemask on does not appeal, however, so it can wait.

I am glad shops are open as it is a step forward. My son is keen to go to the gym and we all want a haircut. Does saying that you want to go to a bookshop make you sound more intelligent? - Bookshops.seem to be the most favoured destination.

I won’t be going shopping. The joy of “going shopping” for me is browsing, trying things on, stopping for a leisurely coffee/lunch.

At the moment most shops aren’t allowing trying on (and I wouldn’t want to anyway), you can only sit outside for lunch (it’s cold today) and although I am in full support of mask wearing it limits the amount of time I can enjoy myself browsing before I get hot bothered and irritated.

I am however pleased I will be able to pop into town to buy the odd thing if needs be, and pleased for those who have been on furlough that they are able to get back to work.

Need to go to get a couple of household items that broke in lockdown so will go to an out of town shopping centre one evening. Other than that staying well away!

There are not many things I will happily get up early for, and Primark definitely isn't one of them.

Nope, I wasn't a big shopper before the pandemic so my habits haven't really changed much to be honest.

I do enjoy a little browse around sometimes so I miss that. I'm happy to do it with a mask but it seems a bit selfish to pop in just to browse when someone may be waiting outside to actually spend their cash. So I'll leave that until another time.

Nope, it's not really "proper open" till the social distancing is no longer needed. You can't browse without feeing guilty that someone else can't come in. So, no , not going for some time to come.

I'll be in my local pub beer garden later........ can't wait!!

I won't be going shopping - I suspect it'll be chaotic and stressful today. But each to their own.

For some people this will feel like the start of life getting back to some sense of normality and if they are keen to go shopping and to the pub then fair enough. The key to a successful "unlock" will be to make sure that precautions are still in place, and I hope that everyone bears this in mind.

No, will be keeping to shopping online. Warmer, quicker and I don’t have to worry about people not wearing masks, not understanding what 2m is or thinking isolation doesn’t apply to them.

I don’t mind wearing masks but the joy of going to an actual shop was the leisurely browsing with friends, grabbing lunch and making a day of it. Have no desire to eat out or go shopping until it’s far more under control.

Usually shop online anyway and am happy to support the companies who have been brilliant throughout.

I’m busy today otherwise would go. I love a bit of shopping and some things are better to buy in person. I desperately need shoe polish from Clark’s and new slippers for DD which we usually buy from Primark. She also fits perfectly in Primark’s sweatshirts so we will pop in to the shop at some point this week. She is really excited as she doesn’t like online shopping much.

I'm not bothered for myself but I'm really happy for all the small business owners in my area. It feels like a step in the right direction, even though I'll be at home all day, chained to a laptop.

I want to go to Dunelm for a new blind.
I think I’ll wait until next week, I’ve needed it for a couple of months another few days won’t make a huge difference

I actually really need to go to a shoe shop but I just think it's going to be madness for a while! I don't think I can face it.

My Dc urgently needs new clothes, so we will be going to the shops today.
Not really looking forward to it, but fed up of trying to buy things online that don't fit.
We have planned out a few shops to look at, going to be very focussed rather than browsing.

I won't bother browsing the shops until masks and queues are over.

Nope! I've learned during Covid that everything can be bought online and I'm carrying on that way.

@Mydogisagentleman

I want to go to Dunelm for a new blind. I think I’ll wait until next week, I’ve needed it for a couple of months another few days won’t make a huge difference

Dunelm has been open for months with click and collect. It's a brilliant service.

I'm not going today but I'm pleased they are open. I rarely queued before they shut last time and I've got used to masks now as I have to wear them at work quite a lot. I really need new walking boots and wellies so I'll be glad to be able to try on and clothes returns are easier in person than via post.

I've never really enjoyed shopping. As a child I remember long boring hours hanging around while DM and DSis shopped, think it was their only hobby.

Online works for me. I've even successfully bought shoes online: ordered a couple of different sizes and colours, in the same way that you would want to try on different things in a shop but without the sighs you get when asking for some more to be brought out.

In RL, it always seemed to me that the most desirable combination of size and colour would not be available so had to be ordered. I'm prepared to put up with the small inconvenience of returns in order to try everything in the privacy of my own home. My custom is likely to go to brands who make returns as easy as possible.

The only 'shop' I expect to visit in future would be for a bra fitting as their skill to find the right size and then adjust the straps for a perfect fit make a visit worth while.

I'm glad that shops are open because it's good for businesses but I don't generally enjoy shopping so won't be rushing back.

I like browsing in bookshops and charity shops but during lockdown, I've got into the habit of buying books from Waterstone's online and I think charity shops are probably too small to socially distance properly. I'll just stick to the supermarket for now.

Desperate to get to Primark today for pjs before my surgery this afternoon but read there have been queues since 3am. Bonkers.

Desperate to get to a bookshop and hairdresser’s - I’m taking DD to finally spend her birthday book vouchers today in fact (her birthday was back in December).

Not bothering with clothes yet, but more because all the restrictions and mask-wearing put me off than out of any concern about Covid - agree with @Pepperminttea16 upthread. Hate buying clothes online - I’m someone who likes to feel material for texture and thickness, check it for any faults etc and I hate the faff of multiple sizes and returns (you might avoid the queues in the shops, but the queues at the Post Office or Hermes/Collect+ outlets here are equally bad).

DS needs new football boots and I don't want to order online as they're something that really need to be tried on, so at some point this week I'm going to have to face sports direct. He also needs swimming trunks so hopefully I can get them together.

I'm really glad to see shops open even though I'm not much of a shopper. DP is a retail manager and is around 14k down on his salary in last year and I work in another heavily affected sector and I'm about 8k down so we are really ready for some normality. I certainly won't be sneering at 'saddos in Primark' when I know how many jobs could be saved by those looking forward to hitting the shops.

Also agree with @rainbowthoughts about snide posts about Primark queues etc. I’ve seen similar sniffy comments about eyebrow threading on Twitter this morning. And it’s always stuff that’s primarily for women that’s seen as pointless frippery - I’m sure the return of spectator sport wouldn’t result in as much criticism about long queues for football matches etc.

There is a couple of shops that I need to go to. Children grow even in lockdown.
DS needs all his balls pumping up to be able to play and our pump is broken. I'm not paying double to buy that online with postage and packaging plus he needs trainers without holes and grips left on the sole, so that's best done in person and I can do those together.

I'm not going into town, particularly the big shopping centre to browse for pleasure until it is actually possible to browse for pleasure which I haven't done since Fri 24th July last year.
I'm done on face covering roulette... how long will she last before the breathing goes... does she go bare faced and risk the self-appointed mask police... place your bets please...
So essential shopping with a bare face it is.

I'm glad the shops are open. They've been closed for longer than lockdown #1 with only a couple of weeks reprieve since November, but all the ineffective "Covid Secure" theatre needs to go to make shopping pleasurable again.