What are town centres and shops like where you are?

[Lostnameperson]

Is the government looking at how quiet some areas of London are thinking/assuming this is being replicated across the country?

I went to a local retail park yesterday morning for some DIY stuff thinking it would be quieter than the weekend but the car park was pretty much full! It was just like any normal Saturday (on a Monday!) I was just really surprised given reports that people are reluctant to get back to the shops.
The city centre seems to be busy too.
Is it like this where you are?

I went to a nice part of town on Sunday - a beautiful day. It was buzzing. The shops were busy - they were limiting numbers, but they felt pretty full, and there was no way you could socially distance. The pavements were full of people. There were people having lunch, coffee, etc. I expect less nice parts of town are quieter. There' s nowhere much you can go really if you don't go to the shops or the park, so they seemed busier than before lockdown.

Restàurants/shops really quiet here in a town well known for attracting shoppers.

Just been away for a few days east if Oxford though.The village was really busy but locals are being very careful, customers were being told they must have a mask in shops, everyone wore them so no one claiming to be exempt. Even customers in local cafe wearing masks if not eating/drinking, we were prepared our second visit! Have to say I admire their determination to live their lives, but very clearly taking measures to minimise transmission.

Full of grim stressed uncomfortable people constantly touching masks

My town has been struggling for years so it was quiet way before lockdown anyway. Now it's just completely dead. There are sometimes queues for some shops like Primark and Next, but nothing else really. People are quite reluctant over here but I find that the retail parks with free parking are much busier.

Small town where I live - feels more or less normal

Neighbouring City where I work - noticeably quieter due to lower levels of commuters/lunch time trade.

Our town centre was quiet before Covid, now it's almost a ghost town. It's mostly charity shops, a couple of card / gift shops and a few clothing stores (where you can't try anything on).

Our local supermarkets outside of the town centre are busier, but it seems as though most people have no reason to visit the high street.

It was the first time I’d been in a ‘non-essential’ shop since before lockdown and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
A guy wanted to be at the same paint shelf where I was trying the find the right variety. Instead of waiting a minute while I finished he came & stood right next to me so I backed away.

So at the moment I’m surprised that so many people seem to be out for a browse given that it’s not exactly an enjoyable or relaxed experience

central London Here - generally extremely quiet but there have been pockets of seeming normality.
Just today I saw 2 children with their mum in a supermarket. That was the first time I’ve seen children in a shop since March. I was really struck and loved it - felt good. (They were not running around)
actually not sure what the policy is - I know at one time we were only allowed in singly - are family groups now allowed in supermarkets ?

Town: busy 9am until early afternoon, quiet rest of the time. The Roads feel like they are absolutely heaving except 7pm-6am. So 'normal'.

City: feels fairly normal but the suburban roads are noticeably quieter than usual. Big workplace campuses/industrial estates feel strangely quiet.

countryside: busy busy roads & farmers busy too (normal)

East Midlands city, everyone wearing masks, not too busy, most shops with someone on the door with sanitiser, monitoring numbers and asking people to distance.
It felt perfectly safe.
We had a coffee in a cafe for the first time and again, felt safe. Distance between people, self service, sanitiser. Yes, felt fine and I had got quite anxious in the middle of lockdown about everything.

The centre of my London surburb is reasonably busy the actual centre of London still feels like a ghost town!

More or less normal, though one of the cafes hasn't reopened. People are wearing masks and keeping their distance. The pubs and restaurants seem a lot quieter, hopefully they get enough to stay in business.

In my parents' small Midlands town, it was very busy, difficult to keep distance due to narrow pavements. The shops themselves were limiting numbers and keeping people spaced out but on the street it was quite crowded.

Took my boys to get shoes in our local (MK) big shopping centre last week and it was really quiet.

Outdoor retail park with market stalls and tables outside cafes - totally packed.

Indoor shopping mall - totally deserted.

People obviously feel safer outdoors.

Large Northern city centre. Very quiet

Yorkshire market town/tourist town - feels as busy as usual; people all wearing masks in shops though. Went into central Leeds yesterday for the first time since January and found it eerily quiet, the station had virtually no one in it.

Welsh tourist town on the coast was like a wasteland at the weekend. Hardly anything open few shops with sanitiser etc masks not mandatory yet but no eating/drinking indoors so no cafe life. Most of the pubs we passed were still closed and because it was cold there was nowhere for anyone to go between shopping so the odd shop we wanted to go in if there was a queue waiting in the rain put us off.
Also with the smaller shops when you know people are waiting it does reduce the pleasure of a bit of a browse so it’s in grab T-shirt and out.
At our West Midlands home town the centre is quiet but the out of town retail park is doing good trade.

Major regional shopping centre (indoors) today was very quiet. Mostly masks worn but people seemed to struggle with the one way system. You could get a parent and child parking bay at lunchtime which would be impossible normally.

Was in York today, seemed busy. There were well organised queues, lots of masks and good organisation in the shops. People were laughing and having fun, but also observing the rules. Restaurants and cafes were busy- there was a long queue at The Ivy.

I went into Leeds a couple of weeks ago, when things had only just opened and it was quiet. It all felt a bit depressing. Today I felt more optimistic about the bloody new normal.

Our local shops were a bit quieter than usual but there was a lot of traffic congestion due to the widening of pavements by putting red and white plastic bollards out into the road. I know that these are meant to increase the walking space for pedestrians but nobody was taking any notice of them. Everybody was just passing each other on the normal pavement without distancing.

Our high street is empty with loads of closed shops, but our outside, lakeside mall was apparently heaving with people in the outside restaurants and cafes last week. Haven't been myself to the mall as I have been on holiday but will go in the next week for a nose round.

Touristy market town here, popped out at lunch today and was bustling. Cafes etc appeared busy, streets full and shops felt similar level of business to normal. Mask compliance in shops was 100%. All really cheered me up actually

Rural area.....villages back to almost-normal. Plenty of people about, local shop open (masks, only a few in at a time), country main roads busy with vans, lorries, cars. Quiet lanes same as ever, tractors out and about...probably slightly better as no tourists lost in the lanes! Walkers and bikers out by the dozen.

Market town....shops full, streets busy, roads crowded. Large queue at drive-in McDonald's. Everyone in masks in shops but on market day the town centre is extremely busy indeed, local park is full, lots of families and children playing, dozens of ice cream vans. To be honest it's busy and feels ordinary, apart from the masks and the long queue at Sainsbury's.

Lots of pubs open, they have put seats out in car parks; loads of local eateries open and they are incredibly busy all day, people just want to be out and about.

Full of grim stressed uncomfortable people constantly touching masks

Same here (London suburb) - DP had to pick up a prescription earlier and commented on how depressing it all was, and how no one smiles or properly chats any more - interactions are just functional. Cafes and restaurants much more normal and pleasant though.

Currently in the lake District and it's very busy. Quieter than usual at this time of year but difficult to distance due to narrow paths. Most places are doing well with keeping inside guidance such as masks etc but I have passed a few restaurants that if I was booked to go I would refuse to stay due to the closeness of the tables.

One very popular pizza restaurant in the middle of a very popular town looks exactly the same as before covid and was full to bursting last night. I was worried about it and very uncomfortable

Not many coffee shops are taking details and outside seating of some pubs isn't distanced.

A lot of businesses are working very hard to keep going.

My home town is doing really well! Restaurants are really well managed, contact details are being taken and one way systems and table service/outside seating have all been adapted to.