Charlotte Jones, owner of Hetty’s Baby Boutique in Newport, hopes the business rates holiday will helpBy midday last Wednesday, just one customer had crossed the threshold of Hetty’s Baby Boutique in Newport, south Wales. The owner, Charlotte Jones, was trying to put a brave face on it. A smattering of shoppers could be seen on the city’s Commercial Street, but most shops were empty. The exception was food retailer Iceland, where the queues were 10 deep and the atmosphere was fraught. The dramatic change in spending patterns spurred by the coronavirus, with grocery sales booming thanks to panic buying and everything else in free fall, is sending another wave of distress through battered high streets.

Source: The Times March 21, 2020 23:48 UTC