Coronavirus: The street where shop owners just want to reopen

Cones have been placed along Wellfield Road to provide room for people to queue for the shops

While all shops in England and Northern Ireland can now open, in Wales no dates have been given.

People running non-essential shops have been told to prepare, but their businesses remain closed and in plight.

On Cardiff's Wellfield Road parking bays have been cordoned off to make wider pavements so shoppers can queue safely outside stores.

That is because it has been designated a pilot scheme for socially-distanced shopping.

So how do those trading on the once-bustling street in Roath feel as they wait for the go-ahead to reopen?

'Business was booming - then came the guillotine'

Lockdown hit Phillip Kaye's toy business "like a guillotine"

Toys 'n' Things owner, Phillip Kaye, said lockdown had been an "emotional and daily fight".

His shop has been on the street for 32 years.

• Coronavirus: Cardiff shopping arcades plan social distancing measures

• Hundreds queue as shops reopen in England

• Coronavirus: What are social distancing and self-isolation rules?

Before lockdown, business was booming.

"Then all of a sudden this hit us like a guillotine, and we closed immediately," Mr Kaye said.

It has been a "massive" strain, he added.

"Part of me feels that it's the end," Mr Kaye said.

"And part of me feels that I really want to fight, and I'm fighting as hard as I can to save the business.

"It's an emotional and daily fight. Over the last weeks I've lost many hours' sleep because it's not only me. I have a responsibility to my staff."

They were all "itching" to get back to work, he added.

Mr Kaye fears social distancing could destroy the business but added: "It might not be. It might be the assistance that we've been looking for.

"Who knows?"

'I really felt like throwing the towel in'

Jaymin Patel started selling lockdown T-shirts to help his business

After 15 years of trying to bring Carnaby Street to Cardiff, Jaymin Patel felt "like throwing the towel in" when coronavirus hit.

He owns Seven Clothing but decided to close on 21 March, a few days before lockdown came into force on 23 March.

"For 15 years we've not closed for longer than three days," Mr Patel said.

"But it felt like the right decision."

As the weeks wore on they started shipping out lockdown T-shirts.

"We've sold hundreds," Mr Patel said.

On hearing First Minister Mark Drakeford's announcement to plan for reopening, despite no date being given, he felt "disheartened".

"We needed more hope," Mr Patel said.

"I really felt like throwing the towel in, because it will be three months before we've even got an answer as to whether we can go back or not.

"With regards to widening the pavements and taking away the parking bays - the parking was a big selling point of my business."

'The furlough scheme was huge for us'

The furlough scheme meant Jamie Price did not need to sack anybody

Jamie Price, co-owner of Quality Carpets Direct, had accepted that after 20 years "we could lose the shop".

"Two weeks before lockdown, I sat down with my brother in this shop," Mr Price said.

"We thought that the business would be dead, that all businesses would be dead."

That week he was "nervous".

"As things progressed, we realised that the help from the UK government - the furlough scheme - was huge for us," Mr Price said.

"It meant we didn't have to sack anybody. And then the grants that came through from the local council were a life saver."

• RISK AT WORK: How exposed is your job?

• THE R NUMBER: What it means and why it matters

• COMPARING COUNTRIES: The pitfalls of doing so

• R0, FURLOUGH: The language of the outbreak

• RECOVERY: How long does it take to get better?

The company was mothballed but it is not out of danger yet.

"If there is the recession that they're talking about, it will be a problem for us," Mr Price said.

"Currently we're in a good situation. If it dips and runs on for another six months, it'll be a problem.

"Wellfield Road has always been a good trading area. My father used to have a sports shop on this street 25 years ago. It's a lovely place to work, a nice community and it's been great for our business."

He said he was worried getting rid of parking would "kill" the area.

"Hopefully the council will put sensible solutions in place that will encourage it as a shopping area," Mr Price said.

"In terms of safe shopping, widening the pavements had to be done.

"There is no other way of making it safe for people to queue up outside."

What happens next?

At the moment, only essential shops, garages and garden centres can open in Wales.

But First Minister Mark Drakeford hinted reopening could feature in the next lockdown review which is expected to be announced on 19 June.

"Nothing would be worse for the economy if we do a stop-start approach, where we do too much too soon and lead to coronavirus making rapid circulation again, and we have to clampdown on everything for a second time," he said.

Mr Drakeford added public health must come first "as that was best for our economy" but pointed out the retail sector would be "well prepared" if the go-ahead to re-open is given on Friday.

Eye On Wales will explore more about the problems facing shop owners at 18.30 BST on Wednesday, 17 June on BBC Radio Wales and on BBC Sounds.