As stores reopen their doors and people return to the main drag, many shoppers are likely to fear social distancing in popular shopping malls.
Places like Clumber Street, Long Row, and Victoria Center are a hotbed for pedestrians on a busy day, and with everyone given the freedoms given back, that’s even more likely this weekend.
Pubs, bars and restaurants can now be served outdoors, meaning this weekend will be the first real Saturday Nottingham has seen in 2021.
To reassure people about the Victoria Center in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Live reporter Andrew Topping visited the website to see how the return is being managed.
My first impression of the Victoria Center was that it was very busy – although that was to be expected.
It was the first time that many people had year-round opportunities to shop outside of supermarkets and other “major” retailers.
But the crowd didn’t create chaos.
Most of the people in the mall stayed on the left as recommended when implementing social distancing measures.
This allowed the gentle flow of pedestrians through the center and people to visit their favorite stores without getting too close to others.
Many of the busiest shops had their own queuing areas to prevent people in line from blocking the flow of people moving in the center.
These include Boots, numerous grocery stores including Greggs, and select stores including perfume stores.
A sign in the Victoria Center tells people not to stand and eat.
(Image: Andrew Topping / Nottingham Post)
People buying groceries in the stores were also told not to eat any products within the center – as per government regulations – and were asked to “enjoy your take-out food outside the center”.
According to numerous signs in the center, this will help “make our center a safe place for everyone”.
Other signs in the center – including on every other pillar upstairs – reminded people that wearing a face mask was mandatory.
The signs say that “You must wear a face covering in the center. Anyone who does not wear one can be refused entry to the center or asked to leave”.
Basically, it’s the perfect message to send to people.
In reality, however, there were still a number of buyers who did not wear face covering – although they could of course be exempted from it.
I would say of the probably hundreds of people who walked through the mall while shopping, a dozen probably had none.
They were not visually challenged by staff because they did not have one, although there were staff at the main entrance on Parliament Street monitoring this when they entered.
Hand sanitizing stations were also dotted around the mall, as well as markings on the floor for social distancing outside of the stores.
Most retailers also had their own systems installed in their stores, with disposable systems and markings visible in countless stores.
There was also plenty of room in the indoor market for exercise and social distancing.
Overall, the experience was generally positive and for anyone concerned about visiting the Victoria Center while it all opens up, I would definitely recommend you give it a try.