York is open! Video and pictures, as shops welcome back customers with a smile
York is a shopping centre once more.
Many city stores reopened this morning, in line with government guidance.
About 60% of shops were expected to open in the city centre today (Monday, 15 June).
There were queues to get into Primark at the Coppergate Centre, and Barnitts on Colliergate, but otherwise the first hour was fairly quiet.
Pippa Unwin, Coppergate Centre manager, said: “Obviously we’re excited about welcoming people back to Coppergate.
“We’ve put out some of our social distancing markers and we’re just watching how people behave to see where we need to make adjustments, because we don’t think we’ll get it right first time.”
We need people shopping
She said she was pleased at the way the Primark queue had worked.
“I was expecting lots of people. If the weather stays nice we’re going to get more people.
“Coming out here today and seeing that Primark are the first to open and that’s the number of people, maybe we will just get a steady stream and it will be really manageable.”
She said comments on the website were split between those keen to return and people who would be staying away, which was understandable.
“We’re quite pleased that not everybody feels that way, because we need the economy moving again, we need people to come out shopping again. So I’m excited.”
Clean and tidy
Both Barnitts and Browns on Davygate have reopened with separate doors for entrance and exit.
The city was being spruced up ready for the return of shoppers first thing this morning, with King’s Square getting the power wash treatment, and many windows being cleaned.
Lots of shop windows have signs in giving shoppers details on the restrictions inside.
More pictures
Browns has separate entrance and exit doors 
The window display changing in Browns Carluccio’s isn’t coming back – but Fenwick has reopened 
Shoppers study the signs at the Coppergate Centre 
There was a queue waiting to get into Barnitts this morning A spruce up for the Deichmann store on Davygate 
Staff at Mappin & Webb prepare to return A sign outside Boots on Coney Street 
The Coney Street shop window of TK Maxx This sign is in Holland and Barrett 
And this one in Waterstones Windows were cleaned at Berry’s jewellers on Stonegate 
You’ll see lots of these notices around 
A footprint sign at the Coppergate Centre Welcome back 
One-way in Shambles Market 
More to buy in the open air 
A trader sets out her stall
