Nuneaton shopkeeper's plea to Boris Johnson: 'Let us open'

[dutchman]

She has also hit-out at the unfair rules for supermarkets



Nuneaton shopkeeper Jo Williams has pleaded to with the Prime Minister to let shops re-open.

The owner of the award-winning Joco said she is nervously awaiting the PM's address to the nation later when he will reveal the roadmap out of lockdown - including when non-essential shops can re-open.

The independent business boss told Coventry Live the 'worst case' scenario would be not being able to open until May.

"Ages and ages ago I heard April, that is what I have been working on, if it is before that, then great, if it is week after that, fine but going to May, that would be the worst case for us, I don't know how we would be able to go on until then," she said.

"I just want to be able to open, as soon as we can. We are ready and raring to go, we miss our customers, we miss seeing them.

"The worse thing is the waiting, there is a lot of pressure and stress, you just can't plan anything."

The mum-of-two added: "I have had to furlough all of the staff, they just want to know when they can come back, we need to know when we get can back to some kind of living, it won't be back to normal, we are never going to get back to that but we need to know when we can all start trying to live again."

The multi-award winning independent retailer said smaller shops are losing out to favouritism to supermarkets - and it is unfair.

"Yes, most of them (supermarkets) have queuing systems outside but once you get in, it is a free for all, they are all rammed," she said.

"How is that fair when I keep to having six customers in at a time, have a one way system and all of the safety measures in place - yet I can't open. There is no choice, people either go to the supermarket or go online, independent businesses have worked hard to make sure we can open safely, so surely we should be able to open the same as supermarkets."

She said that the urgency to open is not just for her livelihood - but that of the future of the town centre.

"People need to get confidence to come back to town centres, some may never come back, more and more people are shopping online and we need to be able to say 'look, we are open, we are safe, come and visit us'," she said.

"I desperately feel desperately sorry for pubs and restaurants, I have been able to keep selling things via Facebook Live but they haven't. Beauticians and salons have got to be some of the cleanest places going - yet they can't open?

"I just want to be able to open, as soon as possible, we need to be able to re-open," Jo concluded.

[rebbonk]

The lady makes the mistake of thinking Bozo cares. He doesn't!