COVID-19 UPDATE

RETAIL GRANTS SCHEME OPENS

APPLICATIONS FOR RETAIL GRANTS THROUGH THE EXTENDED RETAIL, HOSPITALITY & LEISURE GRANTS SCHEME ARE NOW OPEN.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes MSP confirmed in Parliament yesterday that the extension to the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grants Scheme is now in effect. This means that retailers can apply for grants for any second and subsequent shop premises they have.

David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “These grants provide urgently needed support for retailers operating who are trying to weather the current crisis, particularly those deemed nonessential and currently in hibernation.

“With this extension now open it’s vital that local authorities swiftly process grant applications to allow retailers access to the cash they need to keep afloat and aid high streets across Scotland, which have been left reeling by coronavirus.”

THE SUN PLANS FREE BIG THANK YOU GIGS FOR RETAILERS

Registration has opened for the Big Thank You Tour, a musical extravaganza being organised by The Sun and Virgin Radio to acknowledge the efforts of key workers, including local retailers, during the coronavirus outbreak.

The tour will see arena shows in Glasgow, London and Manchester later this year and tickets are free to retailers. Anyone classified as a key worker can apply for a pair of tickets and 35,000 are available.

The tour hits Glasgow on 1 November and will feature a roster of chart-topping talent.

The London leg will also include The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards. Registration closes at end of June, when a ballot will randomly select the gig-goers. All attendees must be aged 14 or over, and under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

M&S DELIVERS

Marks & Spencer has launchedits first ever home deliveryservice, just ahead of itspartnership with Ocado. Some142 outlets will be offering alimited range of around 130food and household itemsthrough Deliveroo. Deliverieswill take 30 minutes and thereis a £4.99 charge.

BEST-ONE FOOD BOXES

Best-one has launched a foodboxcampaign to help stores tostock the products they needif they want to start providingfood parcels to the vulnerableand those staying at home.

Retailers can buy productsfrom Best-one’s recommendedcore list, advertise theservice they can offer to theircommunity and then deliver thepackage to those in need for afi xed price.

CO-OP MASKS

Central England Co-op has provided face visors for all 7,200 permanent and temporary staff across its food stores and petrol stations. The visors are not compulsory and the decision on wearing one is down to the individual colleague.

HOME DELIVERY ‘SKY-ROCKETS’ DURING COVID-19

NEW ACS FIGURES SHOW THAT SOME 600,000 GROCERY DELIVERIESARE BEING MADE EVERY WEEK UNDER LOCKDOWN.

New figures released in the last week by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) have revealed that home delivery by convenience stores has ‘sky-rocketed’ during lockdown with around 600,000 deliveries being made a week.

The findings also show that around 65% of local retailers are now offering this service, a huge hike from the 10% figure featured in ACS’s 2019 Local Shop Report.

ACS said more than 30,000 businesses had read its guidance on how to create a home delivery service.

“The way that local shops have responded to the coronavirus crisis to support people in their communities has been nothing short of incredible,” said ACS CEO James Lowman. “Home delivery services are a lifeline for local people, especially for those who are self-isolating, elderly, or otherwise unable to leave the house.”

‘BOUNCE BACK’ LOAN SCHEME OPENS

The application portal for the Bounce Back Loan Scheme is now open and can be accessed here.

The scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000. The UK government will guarantee 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. Loan terms will be up to six years.

No repayments will be due during the first 12 months and the government will work with lenders to agree a low rate of interest for the remaining period

The scheme will be delivered through a network of accredited lenders.

ROBOT REVOLUTION

With social distancing anticipated to be in place in some form until 2022, one innovative solution may be the use of ‘collaborative robots’ – cobots.

Cobots can increase productivity without breaking the twometre rule and can work alongside staff to ensure that staffing levels remain relatively normal.

They can be used for a range of tasks including serving food and drink to customers. They are available to hire from £65 a day from www. bots.co.uk.