Primark has announced that it will be opening doors across the UK on Monday and has also outlined what customers can expect upon their first trip in store.
Following the recent government announcement, Primark will be opening all 153 stores across the country on 15th June and is committed to offering the “same great products with employee and customer safety the highest priority”.
Primark has a several branches in Greater Manchester set to reopen.
In preparation for reopening in the UK, the retail chain is said to be closely following all government safety advice and is applying experience gained from store openings across Europe. Rigorous health and safety measures will be put in place in all stores, including a strict social distancing protocol, personal protection for employees and customers, and increased in-store cleaning.
Pictures giving a glimpse inside the Westfield London branch have also been released, so that customers know what to expect and can see what measures are in place when they visit Primark stores.
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Speaking ahead of stores reopening, Primark CEO, Paul Marchant, said: “We have really missed our customers and we are delighted to be back and able to provide them with the quality, affordable products they love from Primark.”
“While it might take a little longer to get into store, once inside, customers will find all their favourite Primark products and plenty of choice as usual. We have worked hard to make sure that clear signage and extra help will be there to guide them through the changes we have made to allow for social distancing.”
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“We are also asking customers to respect the measures we have put in place to help ensure shopping at Primark is an enjoyable, safe experience for everyone.”
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Social Distancing Measures
Limited numbers of customers will be allowed in store at any one time to allow for the appropriate distance in between customers and employees.
Clear signage and floor decals have been applied.
Additional security staff have been hired to help customers follow social distancing measures while queuing to enter store.
The layout of our stores has been redesigned to allow for more space between people. This includes a reconfiguring of the queuing system at till points and dedicated employees on hand to manage the correct flow of the queue.
Fitting rooms, customer toilets, cafes and beauty concessions counters have been temporarily closed off in stores which have them – this policy may be reviewed as the situation develops and in line with government guidance.
Entry and exit points will be clearly marked.
Frequent tannoy announcements will be made in store to remind customers to adhere to social distancing measures.
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Personal Protection
Hand sanitiser stations will be made available at the entrance and on the shop floor and back of house for employee and customer use.
Every second till is closed in order to leave appropriate space between customers and between employees and perspex screens have been installed on open tills to protect customers and employees.
Face masks and gloves are available to all employees if they wish to use them.
Customers will be asked to sanitise their hands upon entry and dedicated employees will be on hand to assist customers if needed.
All returns will be managed in line with government advice.
All testers from the health and beauty department have been removed.
Card payments and contactless payments are encouraged when possible to minimise cash interactions and limits have been increased for contactless payments.
Dedicated employees have been appointed to manage queues at tills and entrances to stores to ensure social distancing measures are being followed.
Dedicated employees will also make sure hand hygiene stations are topped up and report any issues or concerns to the store manager.
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In-Store Cleaning
The frequency and rigour of the store cleaning policy will be significantly increased across all branches, giving particular attention to high frequency touchpoints such as tills, escalators, lifts, and employee areas in back of house.
A deep clean of each store will be carried out before re-opening.
Frequency of cleaning throughout the day will also be increased.
A basket cleaning system will also be introduced, so each basket handle is cleaned before use.
Sanitising wipes will be made available for employees to sterilise baskets and cashpoints.
To check the opening times for your local store ahead of Monday, you can visit the Primark store locator here.
News
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”