With the third national lockdown, non-essential shops, restaurants and pubs have been once again forced to close.
But with many supermarkets selling more than just food, from clothes and children's toys to toasters and televisions, retail groups have been calling for reform on what is classed as essential and non-essential.
During the second lockdown in November, hardware type stores like The Range and B&M Bargains remained open to sell household essentials like bleach and loo roll - but aisles selling non essentials are still available to shoppers.
Tom Ironside, director of business and regulations at the BRC, said in November: "The retail industry has invested hundreds of millions of pounds to make stores safe and secure for customers and we don't believe that any retailers should be required to close.
"The new regulations create arbitrary lines over what is and isn't an 'essential' retailer.
"Unfortunately for many people, this means they cannot visit shops to get the items that are essential to them, from the home office equipment and electronics they need for work, or the pots, pans, fridges and freezers they need during lockdown."
Is it right that supermarkets can still sell clothes when a small high street shop can't? Have your say in the comments section below.
The Government issued new guidelines on November 5, just as lockdown 2 came into force to clarify what and how supermarkets could continue to sell non-essential goods.
Its states that a supermarket that sells food is not required to close off or cordon off aisles selling homeware.
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However, concessions selling non-essentials within a supermarket must close. For example, an electronics business operating a concession within a supermarket must close or a bookshop business inside a garden centre.
And if a business has sufficiently distinct parts, and one section provides essential retail and one section provides non-essential retail, the non-essential sections should close to limit interactions between customers and the opportunity for the disease to spread. For example a food shop may stay open, but a homeware section on a separate floor or separate building should close.
The Government Guidance on Mixed Retail
A business selling a significant amount of essential retail may also continue to sell goods typically sold at non-essential retail. For example, a supermarket that sells food is not required to close off or cordon off aisles selling homeware.
Where a business selling essential retail has another, separate business embedded within it that is required to close, the embedded business must close. For example, an electronics business operating a concession within a supermarket must close, as would a bookstore inside a garden centre.
Where a business has sufficiently distinct parts, and one section provides essential retail and one section provides non-essential retail, the non-essential sections should close to limit interactions between customers and the opportunity for the disease to spread. Sufficiently distinct sections might involve operating in separate buildings, across separate floors, a door between sections, using separate cashiers, or another clear demarcation between sections. For example a food shop may stay open, but a homeware section on a separate floor or separate building should close.
Some supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury's, closed off separate floors or 'distinct' areas selling clothes and homeware during lockdown 2.
Shop owners who have been forced to close while supermarkets and other retailers have been able to continue selling non-essentials as a secondary part of their business have called for the same rules to apply across the board.
During lockdown 3, the Government has confirmed that pubs cannot sell takeaway alcohol for fear of punters congregating in the streets.
The essential guide to lockdown 3 in England
Nicky Edmunds, along with her husband Paul, is the owner of two independent shops called Insideout, based in Exeter and Tavistock, which sell gifts and homewares. She has started a petition as part of a bid to raise awareness of the plight of small traders selling non-essential items. Read more of her story here .
She is calling on the Government to recognise that large retailers classified as selling “essentials” - and therefore allowed to stay open during the second lockdown - are capitalising on the sale of non-essential items in the lead up to Christmas.
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Mrs Edmunds said: “I can’t actually believe this is happening. It is like saying that it is OK for all these other businesses to continue as they are doing.
Nicky and Paul Edmunds with family outside one of their Insideout stores
“Other independents and small businesses can be sacrificed. Some of the businesses that I have been observing, such as Wilko or The Range, sell minimal numbers of ‘essentials’ but they can still trade. It is incredibly distressing."
Retailers that have to close when lockdown is in place include:
- Clothing stores and tailors
- homeware stores
- tobacco and vape shops
- electronic goods and mobile phone shops
- charity shops
- photography studios and antique stores
- Markets (except livestock markets or stalls which fall under the list of essential businesses above, for example those selling food or hardware)
- Car and other vehicle showrooms and other premises, including outdoor areas, used for the sale or hire of caravans, boats or any vehicle which can be propelled by mechanical means. However taxi or vehicle hire businesses can continue. For example a customer could order a rental vehicle online and collect it in person.
- Car washes.
- Auction houses (except for auctions of livestock or agricultural equipment).
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