Halfords to reopen 53 stores - find out which branches here

27 May 2020, 08:23

Halfords is set to reopen 53 stores as bosses say they have seen a surge in bike sales since the Government relaxed lockdown rules and encouraged commuting that avoids public transport.

The stores across the country will allow a limited number of shoppers through its doors under a model bosses want to call "Retail Lite".

Halfords has been allowed to remain open throughout the global pandemic and subsequent lockdown, classed as an "essential" business but the chain decided to shut shops.

The decision comes a day after the Government said most non-essential retailers could reopen from June 15, although the announcement was overshadowed by the Dominic Cummings scandal engulfing the Prime Minister.

The company chose to close sites and operate an employee-only model where customers could make purchases from outside or online, meaning of 335 of Halfords' 446 retail stores have been run this way since lockdown.

Halfords said: "However, there is no timetable or deadline in place for doing so and the pace will instead be dictated entirely by the company's confidence that it can keep its colleagues and customers safe."

New rules include reduced customers, queuing marshals, safety notices and floor markings, sneeze screen visors for staff and instructions to customers not to handle or try on products.

Chief executive Graham Stapleton said: "There has been a big surge in demand for our bike products and services as people have taken to cycling during the lockdown, both for commuting and for fun.

"We are also anticipating a similar level of demand for our motoring products and services in the coming days, as people begin to use vehicles again that in some cases will have been off the road for many weeks."

In addition to its retail stores, Halfords currently has 346 of its 373 garages and 77 vans operating under a contactless model.

The full list of stores reopening

Aintree

Ashford

Aylesbury

Basingstoke

Bedford

Braintree

Cambridge

Chatham

Chelmsford

Chester

Colchester

Cribbs Causeway

Doncaster

Dundee

Eastbourne

Edinburgh - Straiton

Exeter

Fareham

Frome

Gloucester

Hamilton

Harlow

Hemel Hempstead

Hereford

High Wycombe

Huddersfield

Inverness

Ipswich Euro

Leamington Spa

Leicester, St Margarets

Lincoln, Tritton

Liverpool, Edge Lane

Maidstone

Milton Keynes

New Malden

Newport

North Shields

Norwich

Peterborough

Plymouth

Poo

Preston

Sheffield, Queens

Stevenage

Stirling

Stockport

Swindon

Taunton

Telford

Thanet

Wakefield

Yeovil

York