11 May 2020

UPDATE: The Government has today (13 May) confirmed car showrooms are to remain closed for the time being. See the Department for Business website. However, the guidance also states for all retail: “However, staff may be present to make deliveries or provide services in response to orders such as those through telephone, online, or mail. Click and collect services can also operate, though customers must not enter premises listed in the left-hand column.”

Car showrooms will be able to reopen from 1 June placing them in the second stage of the Prime Minister’s plan to restart the economy, according to the Government’s latest guidance issued today (11 May).

Reopening on 1 June places dealerships in the same group as shops, as set out by PM Boris Johnson in his Sunday evening broadcast. The 1 June date is also an “earliest” point and depends on no increase in the coronavirus outbreak before that point.

The document states: “To aid planning, the Government’s current aim is that the second step will be made no earlier than Monday 1 June, subject to these conditions being satisfied. Until that time the restrictions currently in place around the activities below will continue.

“The current planning assumption for England is that the second step may include as many of the following measures as possible, consistent with the five tests. Organisations should prepare accordingly.

“Opening non-essential retail when and where it is safe to do so, and subject to those retailers being able to follow the new COVID-19 Secure guidelines. The intention is for this to happen in phases from 1 June; the Government will issue further guidance shortly on the approach that will be taken to phasing, including which businesses will be covered in each phase and the timeframes involved.”

The Government’s new strategy document also hinted localised restrictions could be used to control the spread of the virus: “There may be circumstances where different measures will be lifted at different times depending on the variance in rate of transmission across the UK.”

DOWNLOAD the Government reopening guidance for retailers here.

Auto Retail Live is hosting a special broadcast on Tuesday, 12 May to help explain the plans. On the webinar will be Vertu’s Robert Forrester, employment lawyer Sandra Martins, Catherine Faiers from Auto Trader and Jeremy Evans from Marketing Delivery. Sign-up to watch and ask the panel questions here.

Tags: Coronavirus, Covid-19, government legislation