Retail Excellence has expressed "shock and dismay" at today's Government decision to extend the new Covid-19 restrictions to include non-essential retailers and said the sector will need urgent financial support.
Retail Excellence represents retailers of all size across the country who collectively employ about 280,000 people. Duncan Graham, the chief executive of Retail Excellence, described the move as "a hammer blow to the retail sector".
Mr Graham said that retailers had followed Government guidelines since reopening just a few weeks ago and had carefully managed customer volumes and health and safety protocols. "We did everything we were asked to do over the Christmas period," Mr Graham said. "We restricted customer numbers in the