The British Retail Consortium (BRC) branded Boris Johnson’s unveiling of tier 4 as disastrous amid fresh calls for greater financial support for hard-pressed businesses. Again, the focus was on the huge amounts of stock, now suddenly obsolete – including 20 newly arrived Christmas trees. Shop worker Tara Kirwan said the new restrictions guaranteed a desolate Christmas for her because of lost wages. Clothes shops were especially hard hit last month by lockdown restrictions and most had reopened in December with hopes of strong sales in the run-up to Christmas to recover lost ground. In March, sales fell by more than 94% in London on the first Saturday after lockdown was imposed.

Source: The Guardian December 19, 2020 19:52 UTC