This week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked all “non-essential” shops in the UK to close, but online retail can continue as normal.
Johnson told people in the UK to stay at home to help slow the spread of Covid-19. Movement is now restricted in the UK, gatherings of more than two people have been banned, and non-essential shops have been closed.
The new measures have already seen companies across the drinks industry shut shop, but not everyone is following suit. The Wine Society announced that, following the prime minister’s announcement, it will stop taking new orders and all deliveries with immediate effect. Wine retailer Majestic announced it would close all of its stores yesterday evening, alongside Oddbins, which sent an email to all staff at 5:30pm explaining how they would be able to apply for the government’s emergency salary scheme.
Breweries and bottle shops across the UK thought they were forced to close, but now, the government has adjusted its guidelines to allow alcohol retailers to stay open.
Click through to see what does and does not count as an “essential” retailer, according to the government’s guidelines.
