Small firms across Nottinghamshire hope face coverings will give confidence to shoppers

Small businesses hope that wearing face coverings will draw more people back to shopping.

With the government announcing that face coverings are now mandatory in all shops, small firms are anticipating more customers will have the confidence to return to the high street.

Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) chairman Mike Cherry, said: “As mandatory face coverings are introduced, small firms know that they have a part to play in the nation’s recovery both physically and financially, and I’m sure this will welcomed by them.

“Of course, we know that facemasks cannot be worn by everyone, and wearing them can pose significant challenges for certain groups, such as those who are deaf and reliant on lip reading.

"We also must be careful that this does not become a trigger for abuse against shop owners and their employees, even though the majority of customers have so far proved accepting of social distancing measures.

“But at a time when we want to encourage footfall to increase in our town centres and high streets, councils and government should help small firms either by delivering masks or by offering funding for the purchase of masks so that customers aren’t turned away.

“While some shoppers may still be nervous, small firms will be hoping that these new measures will inject new confidence into customers and get them back into town centres.”