Relief for retail as shops reopen
Stores forced to close in 11 local authority areas have been given the green light to lift the shutters as early as 6am on Friday 11th December
Christmas shopping can start early for those living in the 11 Council areas moving from Tier 4 to Tier 3.
New rules allow non-essential retail to open as early as 6am, but hospitality venues will need to wait until Saturday 12th December.
It's been a challenging three weeks for shops and restaurants - who would normally rely on an increase in business on the lead up to Christmas.
Braehead welcomes the early bird shopper
Braehead centre director, Peter Beagley said: “I’m sure that after three weeks of non-essential stores being closed in the run-up to the festive season, people will be keen to get their Christmas shopping done.
“We are opening earlier than usual, so we can spread the load and give people more time to do that.” - Peter Beagley, Braehead Centre.
Peter Beagley added: “The most important job for us at Braehead is to make sure we have a safe environment both for shoppers and our staff. And we will do this by continuing a rigorous regime of measures to stop the spread of the virus and to make sure Braehead is a safe place to visit and work.
Shoppers urged to stay safe by Scottish Government
Business minister Jamie Hepburn has urged retailers and shoppers to be responsible, saying "the virus is the last gift anyone wants to receive this Christmas".
Mr Hepburn urged shoppers: "Always aim to be polite and try to be patient. The restrictions are difficult for everybody and we need to work together to keep each other safe. Abusive behaviour is never acceptable and at its worst it could constitute criminality."
"Basically the whole year has been tough." - David Pierotti, Silverburn.
David Pierotti, General Manager of Silverburn Centre said: "I'm keen that we open safely that's why I'm encouraging customers to abide by the direction and instruction. Both that the government have given and my staff.
"We are managing reduced capacity so there may be, from time to time over the festive period, a need to stop customer flow so we can manage safe volumes on site."
The 11 council areas going into level 3 are: City of Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Stirling and West Lothian.