Bakery chain Greggs is to reopen its UK branches from June 18th.
The company closed outlets on March 24th after coronavirus lockdown measures were introduced.
Following a successful trial period, Roger Whiteside, Greggs’ chief executive, said 800 branches will reopen from June 18th.
Roger Whiteside, Greggs CEO
He said: “We’ve recently opened a selection of shops on an ad-hoc basis in the North East trialling delivery, collection and standard walk-in orders.
“This was so we could test out new operational safety measures to roll out on a wider scale when the time is right.
“The trials have been performing well, providing useful feedback from colleagues and customers, and we’ll continue to adapt as we learn more and work to the latest Government advice.
“We plan to start preparing and opening more shops nationwide from around the 18 of June and we’re currently in the process of selecting around 800 shops to reopen, this will initially include approximately 150 franchise shops.
“All shops will open with our new tested operational measures in place.
“And although they will open with a reduced range, this will be a significant step in us helping the nation get back up and running and serving the communities that we operate in.
“We’ll continue to look for the best ways to serve customers whilst keeping everyone safe, and as long as we can continue to do this, the final phase in our plan is to open all shops with our new operational measures in place by July 1st.
“A huge thanks to our colleagues and customers for their cooperation and understanding throughout this process.
“Keep safe, and all the best.”