[ad_1]
Major business groups have made recommendations to the Welsh government in an attempt to end the confusion surrounding the sale of non-essential items.
They include allowing the public to decide for themselves whether an item is essential. Since the fire lockdown occurred on Friday, October 23, supermarkets have been banned from selling non-essential items.
The main reasons behind the rules were that it is unfair for smaller retailers to have to close and that it would reduce the amount of time people will spend in stores. But there has been strong criticism of the policy, and critics say it is confusing and unnecessary.
The Government of Wales has said it will publish a revised guide today to clarify the rules.
This morning the Welsh Retail Consortium, the Confederation of British Industry and the Association of Convenience Stores presented recommendations to the Government of Wales to resolve the confusion.
In a statement, they said: “We hope that the government agrees with these recommendations and that the people of Wales can refocus all their energies on respecting the firewall.”
“We believe that these recommendations will fulfill the role of retailers in fighting the spread of the virus, while allowing discretion to be used on an individual basis, as recommended yesterday by Health Minister Vaughan Gething.”
The recommendations are:
-
To limit the spread of the virus and allow individual discretion, retailers will prominently display Welsh government approved signs in front of known non-essential items and in common areas. The signage will make clear the government regulation and the need to comply with it.
-
This message will be reinforced by in-store advertisements and messages on social media. Advise customers to put off nonessential purchases
-
We recommend that the individual customer be trusted to make their own decision as to whether a product is nonessential or not, taking into account the notices displayed throughout the store and their immediate needs.
-
If the customer continues with the purchase of the item, the ultimate responsibility should rest with the customer.
-
Retailers will eliminate special in-store promotional displays for nonessential items to minimize browsing and avoid triggering a nonessential purchase.
The group says: “These recommendations would mean that non-essential items are not removed from shelves, nor cordoned off in stores, but large notices are posted in front of products and in common spaces to inform customers about the regulations of the Welsh government and the Welsh public are entrusted to make the right decision.
“We look forward to working with the Government of Wales again this morning and hope that a consensus can be reached.”
[ad_2]
