Scottish kitchen, bedroom and bathroom retailers ARE allowed to open immediately – finally mirroring rules in England.
This is despite the Scottish government unlikely to look at letting non-essential retail open until at least Monday, June 22.
The news comes courtesy of the Kbsa, which has received written confirmation from the Scottish government that kbb showrooms can open their showrooms for business as long as they stick to official guidelines on social distancing.
The go-ahead to open was made in a reply to a letter the Kbsa wrote to Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills, asking for clarification.
Kbsa national chair Richard Hibbert said, “We are delighted our members in Scotland now have the same clarity as our members in England. Our actions in contacting government and encouraging members to write to their local MP’s have given members the option to open if they wish.
“Our members in England have taken their own decisions on whether to open based on individual circumstances and what is right for them, we expect Scottish retailers to do the same.
“There are many changes coming over the next few weeks as lockdown is eased and we remain committed to supporting members as they get back to business.”
Last week, a kbbreview survey found that the large majority of kbb retailers in England had reopened their showrooms – mostly by appointment only.