Halfords in Highland capital welcomes shoppers inside for first time since coronavirus lockdown imposed
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Halfords has re-opened its store in Inverness with extensive social distancing measures in place.
It is one of 53 Halfords stores operating what it calls a "retail lite" model and follows trials at stores in Peterborough and Bristol.
Having been granted essential retailer status during the coronavirus lockdown, 335 of the company's 446 UK retail stores, including the Harbour Road branch in Inverness, have been operating under a "dark store" model with customers placing orders outside the front of the store.
There is no timetable or deadline in place for re-opening under the new model and the pace will instead be dictated by the company’s confidence that it can keep staff and customers safe.
Social distancing measures that will be in place include allowing only a safe number of customers in the store at any one time, queue marshalling outside the store, safety notices and floor markings to remind customers about social distancing, cleaning stations with supplies of hand sanitiser and wipes and "sneeze screens" and visors for staff.
Customers will be asked not to handle or try on products and will be asked to book bike consultation and collection slots online or over the phone in advance, wherever possible.
"We are pleased to be in a position to start letting our customers back into our Inverness store," said Halfords chief executive Graham Stapleton.
"However, we are going to be reopening our stores to customers gradually and cautiously in order to be absolutely certain that our colleagues and customers have a safe environment in which to work and shop."
During lockdown, the company has experienced a big surge in demand for bike products and services as more people have taken to cycling.
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