Welcome Back To Leeds: It's amazing to be back, says M&S

That was the message from Leeds M&S store manager Claire Cunliffe as shops re-opened after an ease of Covid-19 lockdown measures to allow the re-opening of non-essential retail.

A safe shopping campaign is underway to re-start the city’s economy launched by LeedsBID, called Welcome Back To Leeds – visit the web site at www.welcometoleeds.co.uk

WATCH: LeedsBID CEO Andrew Cooper gave safe shopping tips, advice and how get the most out of the Welcome Back To Leeds campaign in. a YEP Facebook Live chat with Graham Walker, now availab le to watch on demand – CLICK HERE.

Claire said: “It’s absolutely amazing to see Leeds busy again.

“We looked out the front window of our cafe this week, just to see people about. To see a really positive atmosphere in Leeds city centre is absolutely amazing after what we’ve been through in the past three months.

“People are coming back into the city centre. It’s not as busy as it normally would be, but people are gradually coming back. So we feel very very positive that our customers will return.

“We’ve seen customers that haven’t been into the city centre for the last three months. So it’s about reassuring those customers. We are here to make them feel comfortable in our store.”

New stay safe messages are going up around the city centre after PM Boris Johnson announced the effective unlocking of England with “one metre-plus” rules from July 4 – which will allow a swathe of more businesses to reopen and households to meet again indoors.

Still unable to open are nightclubs, casinos, bowling alleys, indoor skating rinks, indoor play areas, spas, nail bars, beauty salons, massage parlours, tattoo and piercing parlours, indoor studios, indoor gyms and sports venues, swimming pools and conference centres.Martin Dickson, head of marketing at LeedsBID, said: "We have to be unafraid and we have to be positive."Once people see that Marks & Spencer, Next, Debenhams, Harvey Nichols and these staple high street favourites are open and that they are alright, I think it will help and people will think 'let's return to normal'.”

"We have to be unafraid and positive" - Leeds prepares to welcome people back to the high street

Welcome back to Leeds is an info hub designed to help guide you safely back to the city centre in the months ahead.LINKS:

Web: www.welcometoleeds.co.ukTwitter: @WelcometoLeeds #backtoleeds

Facebook: www.facebook.com/welcometoleeds