Lockdown lifting leaves UK consumers wary

UK consumers remain wary of returning to social situations

UK consumers are wary of returning to places like pubs, restaurants and coffee shops, new data from YouGov show, even as the government eyes a path to reopening sections of the economy.

The survey, conducted this week, asked about 1,650 adults how comfortable or uncomfortable would they would feel visiting a range of places once the government loosens the current lockdown restrictions and they reopen.

Excluding those who said they didn't usually visit each place, about 60% of respondents said they would feel very uncomfortable or fairly uncomfortable visiting pubs and bars, gyms, coffee shops, restaurants and beauty salons.

For clothing stores and hairdressers or barbers, similar numbers said they would feel comfortable and uncomfortable visiting after the lockdown.

It was only garden centres where a clear majority said they would feel very or fairly comfortable visiting, with 70% giving those responses.

The figures suggest that the economy may get a slow start as lockdown lifts, as consumers adjust their spending and behaviour to a new environment.

With many losing jobs or income, that may reflect more difficult financial circumstances. But consumers could also remain anxious about the risk of infection, until a vaccine is available for Covid19.

Newsnight this week talked to businesses about how they expected to adapt once they are allowed to reopen.

Businesses could be asked to maintain social distancing, requiring measures that could hit revenues or mean increased costs.

Newsnight has been told that some shopping centres are considering one-way circuits and other steps to manage numbers. Gyms could ask members to prebook slots to exercise, while cinemas could leave empty seats between groups.

Kevin Georgel, chief executive of St Austell Brewery, which has a portfolio of nearly 200 pubs, said that the requirement for social distancing may prove difficult for the sector.

"Unless we can be confident of having close to a normalised level of revenue then frankly the economics of operating pubs just don't work, most businesses would be loss making," he said, calling for the government to ensure the support packages on offer to businesses evolve as the situation develops.

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