NAJ issues alert to jewellery trade as retailers in England open up

04 Dec 2020

 

In the week that many of the UK’s jewellery retailers reopen after missing crucial trading weeks in November, the NAJ is alerting the trade to funding, security and how to stay open under COVID guidance.

From Wednesday 2nd December, as England returned to a system of tiered restrictions, all non-essential retail across England were able to reopen, and planning rules limiting opening hours were eased to allow shops to be open for longer Monday to Saturday.

Extended opening hours

With NAJ members like many retailers across the country already making their premises Covid-secure, allowing them to extend their opening hours from Monday to Saturday ‘will mean an even safer shopping experience in the run up to Christmas and through the January sales, when shops are usually much busier’ a statement from the government said.

On publishing the news, Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said,

“None of us entirely enjoy navigating the crowds, especially now when social distancing is so important for controlling the pandemic. So, with these changes your local shops can open longer, ensuring more pleasant and safer shopping with less pressure on public transport.”

In response to the announcement, the Association approached TH March, long standing partners for comment on how members can continue being protected with such changes.

A statement from the jewellery specialist insurance broker said,

‘Whilst there are no opening/closing time limit clauses within our policy - and our underwriters totally accept and agree that extended opening hours of say 9.00 until 19.00/20.00 will probably take place now (as they normally do at this time of year anyway) - opening on a much more extended basis than this, or a 24 hour basis, does change the “risk dynamic”.  Clients should speak with us first before deciding to open on this basis.  As always, our underwriters expect our clients to act prudently and pragmatically at all times.’

‘If our clients do choose to open on “extended hours”, then all security procedures and staffing levels should be in place, together with advising their alarm company of this change if their alarm system is set up to have monitored opening/closing.’

‘As insurance brokers, we’re here to help and advise our clients so we would encourage them to get in contact with us if they have any doubts or queries regarding their planned opening procedures.’

View SecurityWise

Diamonds and Pearls

As presented in previous StoreSafe and SiteSafe guidance, members are encouraged to make sure store personnel are split up into teams in order to avoid the risk of having the business temporarily closed down due to a staff member reporting a positive track and trace result.

By splitting personnel up into (for example) a Diamond and Peral team, and not mixing, the team with the affected person(s) is then able to self-isolate while the store or site remains ‘open’. Some members have turned to temporary staff, or security guards in order to provide enough staff numbers for the store to be open and COVID secure. Mass testing in some areas may well affect this.

StoreSafe guidance and training courses are currently in version SIX and members can put their teams through the updated training to further assure customers of a COVID secure experience.

View StoreSafe

Grants available, remember to apply

In response to the impact that local and national COVID-19 restrictions have had on the economy, the Government has provided local councils with grant funding to help businesses which have been most affected.

With many NAJ members having to close during the second wave of lockdown, jewellers are encouraged to apply for the grants through their local authority.

The grant, ‘Local Restrictions Support Grant’ that were closed can be viewed on the Government Website.

Find your local Authority

Quick links (not inc. London Boroughs): Birmingham  Manchester Nottingham Glasgow Newcastle Leeds Bristol Cardiff Belfast Liverpool

Source: The NAJ