Retailers geared up to reopen ahead of England despite fears they will be 'honeypots' for shoppers

First Minister Mark Drakeford said that, if the coronavirus situation continues to improve, then it is likely that non-essential retailers could be permitted to open in Wales ahead of those in England.

But he said the downside could be an influx of shoppers from areas with higher rates of infection in England.

However, business leaders in North East Wales don't think this will happen - they are ready to open and to continue to adhere to precautions designed to keep everyone safe.

Askar Sheibani

Askar Sheibani

Askar Sheibani, CEO of Comtek Network Systems UK Ltd and chair of the Deeside Business Forum, said: "I don't think that's going to happen at all. First of all our area, Wrexham and Deeside, we are not known to be a very big shopping area, we are more an industrial area. If it was Liverpool city centre that would be different. Here you will not find that kind of market for a huge number of people to invade North East Wales.

"There might be some, but it would be very moderate numbers."

"Business here are absolutely ready. If they were told to open tomorrow they would be ready. They are absolutely geared up.

"The beauty of our business community is that they are really innovative. They have got it spot on, they have listened to the news and they have obeyed the rules. They are brilliant here."

He added: "It is great that Wales is ahead. Wales is in a better shape that many parts of the country because of the decisions made by our devolved government."

Ruth Rees, co-owner of Martin Rees Jewellers and chairman of the Wrexham Business Group, said that she thought there had been an influx of people into Wrexham the last time lockdown measures were relaxed.

But she said Wrexham traders were committed, and now experienced, to keeping their staff and customers safe.

Ruth Rees, of Martin ReesJewellers. (Source Ruth Rees)

Ruth Rees

She said: "I think when lockdown was relaxed in the autumn people did go shopping, that was our experience. Judging by the autumn, when we were open and England wasn't, were were aware of that influx. We weren't cross-questioning customers as to where they've come from, and to some extent it would have been people from Wrexham who might have normally gone to Chester to shop. But we were extra busy for those few weeks.

"I expect we will again, but we will just be making sure we have al the safety precautions in place. We will make sure the staff and the customers are safe. As long as we do stick to the guidance I don't think it will cause any undue problems."

 

Wrexham town centre

Ruth added: "We are all certainly looking forward to being able to open again, there is little doubt of that.

"It has been a struggle for business, but I have been amazed by the ingenuity of many of my fellow business owners in Wrexham, the way they have risen to the occasion. They've had websites, deliveries, and one or two are even expanding."

Mr Drakeford told Monday's Welsh Government press conference that non-essential retail should reopen in Wales before England - but that brings its own problems for border communities like Deeside and Wrexham.

First Minister Mark Drakeford.

First Minister Mark Drakeford

He said: "The border has always been an issue.

"There are no plans [in England] to begin the re-opening non-essential retail until well into April so I think the chance are that we will begin the reopening of those businesses earlier here in Wales.

"The figures that I've set out today are still significantly better in Wales than across the border, that would give us the opportunity to reopen parts of non-essential retail.

"But I will think very carefully about how we do it so that we don't have the opposite problem, which is that we have people coming into Wales when are shops are beginning to reopen from parts of England where coronavirus is still in major circulation."

He added: "I have never been keen on border policing.

"It's always been for me making sure that we have a sensible approach in which we don't allow people from high infection areas to travel into low infection areas, bringing that virus with them.

"When we begin the opening of non-essential retail we will try and do it in a way that does not create honeypots circumstances in which people cannot go shopping in their part of their part of the United Kingdom but are attracted to come into Wales.

"These challenges are there, they are real, particularly in the north east of Wales where the population is so fluid across the border."

The seven-day incidence rate of coronavirus across Wales has fallen to 64 cases per 100,000 people, with the rate below 100 cases per 100,000 people in every part of Wales.

Wales’ R rate remains below 1 and the total number of coronavirus-related patients in hospital has fallen below 1,500.

“All of these are encouraging signs that the worst of the second wave is hopefully behind us and we can look forward together with confidence to more positive days and weeks ahead of us,” Mr Drakeford said.

The next review of lockdown measures in Wales will take place on March 12, with an end to "stay at home" measures expected to be among the relaxing of regulations.