Shopping - what's it like now?

[Hannah2199]

I've not been to our local shopping centre since March, but now I need to go as our toddler needs shoes and kids have outgrown many of their clothes. Can anyone tell me what to expect please?

I know I need to wear a mask in the shop, but do I need one when travelling between shops? If so, I dont think I'll be there long! I find mask wearing a real struggle. I felt breathless after 45mins of supermarket shopping at the weekend.

Will I be able to get toddler to try the shoes on in the shop?

Clothes - will I have to try them on at home and bring back if they dont fit? Does this mean in reality everyone is trying things on in public toilets to avoid making a return trip????

Will I be able to stop somewhere for a drink/snack for the toddler? I'd prefer to leave toddler at home but obviously needs to come to try on the shoes....

Have you found the shops to be really busy with long queues? Or much quieter lately?

Sorry if these seem obvious questions....

I've not been loads but when I have it's been fairly normal.

I put my mask on in shops, off inbetween.

Sometimes have to wait a few mins outside till there's space but not long.

Lots of hand gel to use in the shops.

It's quite nice really as it all feels quieter, but I've never been a big fan of shopping in the first place.

Few public toilets are open so that's a big problem for me. Can't go to our lovely EOT shopping park as there's no loos open!

When you take off your mask in between shops don't pull it down onto your throat as I've seen loads of people do, take it off completely and put it in a bag. If you've come into contact with COVID and it's on your throat you're then putting that mask over your face - defeats the whole point.

If you are in a shopping centre then you need to wear a mask from shop to shop.

If you are outdoors between shops then you can remove your mask

Thanks everyone.

Really surprised that toilets aren't open? Seem to be open at all the local parks etc, so I wonder why not at shopping centres, not ideal!

It's only a small EOT, I'm guessing the big shopping centres like Bluewater etc have public loos.

If you've come into contact with COVID and it's on your throat you're then putting that mask over your face - defeats the whole point. How does it defeat the whole point? It'll be on the inside of your mask not the outside, and the point of the mask is to protect others, not you.

EOT ????

I went up to the shops in our local area on Saturday, mostly small independents. It was pretty much the same as pre-lockdown. Plenty of people about, busy. Only difference was mask wearing in shops and some short queues to get in (e.g. the fishmonget was only letting one person in at a time). All felt pretty safe and well organised.

If it is an indoor shopping centre then I believe you will have to wear your mask all the time.

If it is a high street then you can remove the mask when outside but put it on every time you go into a shop.

Toddler does not need a mask as they aren’t mandatory for children under the age of 11 and not recommended at all for very young children.

I last went to a town centre the day before masks became mandatory. It was fairly busy but not packed and there were no queues. I don’t think changing rooms were open, but I was able to browse freely in M & S with no obvious one way system and no impediment. I was also able to browse the books in Waterstones as normal, which made me happy.

I didn’t try any shoe shops, so can’t advise there.

I think mandatory mask wearing will be damaging for retail. They aren’t pleasant to wear and many people will now probably avoid the newly reopened shops for a while longer again. I admit that I am rather hoping for mass disobedience to creep in and scupper the whole charade.

I will, however, wear my mask like a good girl for now even though I find I struggle to breathe in it after a few minutes.

Oh, and I found that many of the big department stores did have their toilets open. I used the ones in our John Lewis and they were fine.

I didn’t check out the council run ones.

Supermarkets generally have theirs open too.

Maybe this explains it better than I did!

Check with the shoe shop that you can actually try the shoes on before you go with your toddler, our local shop is no trying on in store, but you can return if they don’t fit.

We went clothes shopping at the weekend for the first time since lockdown. I found it a pita, fewer cashiers meaning long queues and not being able to get near the clothes where people were queuing. Combined with not being able to try anything on I'm going to be sticking with online for now.

Re food and drink, everywhere seems to be either really very quiet or mobbed. I think if you avoid the busy places you'll probably find somewhere quieter just down the road.

Check out lockdownloos.com to see where open public toilets are. I was surprised how difficult it was to find one open.

@Topseyt Totally agree. Im only doing essential shopping, and in one place Tesco because of it

You have to queue a lot if you are going to different shops as they don't allow many people in at one time.
My local town was very busy today, but the shops are quite empty.
I am getting fed up of the queuing, I'm not very patient - I've only been to 2 shops (apart from supermarkets) and I had to queue for a long time (both items I really needed to buy).
I'm not sure how this queuing will work in the winter when the weather is terrible.

Is there a reason OP why you can’t buy the clothes online? That’s what I’m doing. I understand that you might need to get feet measured but I still would avoid shopping if possible - especially with kids. The thing I didn’t like when I went was not understanding What I could or couldn’t do. I was told off several times for various things and I’m a real stickler for rules. For example going the wrong way round the shopping centre and shops. Even though no one else was. Trying things on was allowed in one shop and not another. Really difficult

Indoor shopping centres you have to wear mask the whole time, including walking between shops. Toilets open in both of the big ones I have been to (North East). Fitting rooms largely seem to be closed still, I've not come across any shops with them open yet that I've been in anyway.
Queues - depends which shops and time of day. I was there today and it was heaving but biggest queues were for food places. Think school holidays and eat out to help out scheme have really influenced people as I was there last week too and it wasn't half as busy as this afternoon. Places like TGI fridays, Frankie & Bennys etc all only taking bookings for time slots much later in the day. We ended up eating a subway in the car!
One way stickers on floors everywhere but found a lot of people either didn't see them or chose to ignore them.
Social distancing hit and miss - same as everywhere really, mix of people trying to be careful and people not giving a shit. There were staff on the doors to the centre today asking people to wear face coverings and we did see one member of staff walking around asking people to wear them as was lots of people with masks hanging off their chin, wrapped round wrist etc.

We went to John Lewis about some tech at the end of their clearance sale. It was really quiet! Not much queueing at all. But not the expansive, fun activity shopping used to be.

Low on goods in some shops. DH works in transport and many goods have been stuck in containers on the docks for months. M&S particularly sparse.

You can book an appointment at Clark's online to get their feet measured which means less waiting. Good luck

I needed kids shoes (And feet measuring) as soon as shops reopened - booked a clarks appointment online in a town centre. It was very well done - felt much less stressful than getting feet measured normally - there were very few people in the shop - had the assistants full attention - could try on and they fit them with help from a screen. I’d so that and order your own clothes online (because you can’t try on and it will be stressful with a toddler).

I wouldn't hang around in public toilets trying on clothes. It's potentially a place of transfer as the flush aerolises it (a minute risk - not a reason to avoid public toilets). Plus there may be a queue as not all are open. I found department stores were.

I went to Liverpool the other day. It was really quiet. Didn't have to queue for a single shop. Only WH Smith had a one way system. I wasn't looking for clothes so can't comment on changing rooms

Changing rooms are all closed. You don't need to wear a mask inside the shopping centre, only in shops. Literally no one had them in walking around.

No idea about shoes but definitely don't try clothes on in a public toilet. Take them home and make a trip back if they don't fit, it order online.

Also probably goes without saying but most shops will prefer or state that you need to pay by card rather than cash.