Retail giant John Lewis, with a store in Norwich, said it is preparing for a ‘phased reopening’ after closing because of coronavirus.

It did not confirm when all the John Lewis stores would reopen, but said its preparations have been “informed” by social distancing measures at its Waitrose supermarkets, which have traded throughout the pandemic.

Boris Johnson has allowed non-essential stores and services to reopen from June 15,

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It said it will reduce the number of entrances to stores and will put restrictions on the number of people able to shop at one time as part of new safety measures. In a statement, it said: “Our plan sees us open our shops on a phased basis, to enable us to test the changes we are introducing and ensure the best and safest customer and partner experience.

“The safety of our customers and partners will govern everything we do and we are prepared to readjust our plan and make changes as we go to make sure we get it absolutely right and continue adhering to evolving government guidelines.”

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