Primark will close all 189 outlets in the UK from tonight after TImpson Group, Pret A Manger, and John Lewis shut their doors as coronavirus panic sets in.
Company owner Associated British Foods has already shut its 187 other venues across Europe and North America this week.
It has also cancelled all new clothing orders from suppliers in countries including India, but will honour all orders already shipped to Primark stores.
Earlier today, Timpson announced that all 2,150 of its stores – including its cobblers and locksmiths, and Johnsons – will ‘go into hibernation’ at 5pm tomorrow.
CEO James Timpson confirmed that Staff will remain on full pay.
Pret A Manger chose to close all 400 of its UK stores last night, following a similar decision by coffee chain Starbucks, which has around 1,000 UK outlets.
Meanwhile Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee moved to takeaway-only.
And high street giant John Lewis decided to close all 50 of its stores from close of business tomorrow for the first time in its 155-year history.
Primark will close all 189 outlets in the UK from tonight amid fears of the coronavirus
Timpson Group will close all 2,150 of its UK stores from close of business tomorrow
The UK’s infection rate soared to 5,018 today as another seven people in Wales died, bringing the national death toll to 240 to date.
Timpson was founded in 1865 by shoemaker William Timpson and his brother-in-law Walter Joyce, who sold shoes from Oldham Road in Manchester.
It expanded into shoe manufacturing in 1884 at factories in Kettering, and repairs in 1903. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1929.
Timpson boasted around £10million turnover in the 1950s, and was bought out by several large companies in the proceeding decades.
It yet another staple of the British high street that has collaborated in the general panic after the Government encouraged public social centres to close.
John Lewis has said it will close all 55 of its UK stores for the first time in its 155-year history
Pret A Manger closed all 400 of its UK stores in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic
A message from Pret CEO, Pano Christou, said how much he thanked his ‘amazing teams’
It comes after coffee chain Starbucks, which has around 1,000 outlets in Britain, announced yesterday that it too has temporarily closed its doors
The drastic measures come despite the stores technically being allowed to remain open and sell takeaways under Boris Johnson’s Covid-19 lockdown plans
A sign posted in a Costa Coffee shop at London’s Paddington station on March 20
Costa Coffee will become takeaway-only for now, and have a more limited food range
Pano Christou, CEO of the food chain Pret, said in a statement posted on social media: ‘I want to thank our amazing teams for serving you with so much passion and kindness over the recent weeks, including more than 100,000 NHS workers.
‘Pret’s first value is Happy Teams, Happy Customers and my priority is always to protect our teams as much as we can.
‘For this reason, we will be closing all our UK shops temporarily from this evening.
‘We will of course ensure any excess food goes to those who need it most.
‘We look forward to being a part of your daily lives again soon.
‘Until then, stay healthy and look after each other.’
John Lewis Partnership chairman Sharon White declared: ‘The welfare of our customers, communities and partners is always our absolute priority’.
The group-owned supermarket Waitrose, which has more than 300 stores across the country, will remain open, she added.
Ms White said the move was done ‘with a heavy heart’ even though the department store’s website would remain operational.
Caffe Nero has also announced changes to the way it will operate for the moment
A post on social media added, ‘You can still come and grab your coffee, we are here for you’
Topshop employees today said they have been laid off after the Arcadia Group closed its 300 UK stores an hour before the government announced its coronavirus job retention plan
Topshop employees were laid off after the Arcadia Group closed its 300 UK stores an hour before the Government announced its coronavirus job retention plan.
The group owned by billionaire Philip Green said in an emailed statement: ‘In line with many other retailers, the Group has made the difficult decision to close until further notice all of our stores from 4pm this afternoon.’
This includes Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, and Wallis.
All these closures follow Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s double-pledge to provide £350billion of Government-backed loans and cash grants to business, and pay 80 percent of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 per month – the national average.
Mr Sunak also vowed to increase welfare payments by £7billion and defer £30billion of VAT bills. His scheme will be up and running from April 1.
Although these stores are technically allowed to remain open under Boris Johnson’s Covid-19 lockdown plan, many have been spooked into closure.
Scientists and medics say the vast majority of those killed by Covid-19, the illness created by the Wuhan virus, are elderly with ‘underlying conditions’.
Those ‘conditions’ include cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer sufferers.
Wake up and smell the coffee! Customers hug as they meet and sit outside celebrity hangout Daylesford Cafe in London’s exclusive Westbourne Grove despite PM’s coronavirus ban
Customers hugged each other as they met and sat outside a West London celebrity hangout cafe today despite Boris Johnson’s coronavirus ban.
Daylesford cafe, a celebrity hangout in Notting Hill, has been photographed with people sitting outside on chairs, eating, and drinking.
When asked why people were sitting outside at Westbourne Grove, an employee at Daylesford’s Pimlico branch told the MailOnline: ‘I don’t know why they’re doing this.
People can be seen sitting at Daylesford cafe, a celebrity hangout in Notting Hill, West London, today as the venue defies Boris Johnson’s order to close down to stop the coronavirus spread
A popular cafe with celebrities, Daylesford in Westbourne Grove defies Boris Johnson’s orders to close and to have no seating today
‘An email was sent round to all stores yesterday telling us to follow the Government’s advice and to remove all seating from outside the store.
‘And, not to encourage eating on the premises. I don’t know why they’re not following what’s been advised,’ he added.
As a farm shop and a cafe, Daylesford premises are allowed to remain open for shoppers looking to buy food to take home. However, their restaurant facilities should not be up and running, the employee said.
Yesterday, police announced they would be on the alert to close any pubs or bars that refuse to comply with the government’s shutdown of social venues.
Police forces were mobilised to enforce the shutdown, with chief constables engaging civil contingencies designed to respond to events such as rioting and terrorism, allowing longer shifts and making more officers available.
Above, the popular cafe today. Meanwhile,former health secretary Jeremy Hunt this morning welcomed the government’s shutdown of pubs and restaurants, although he suggested the measures should have been enforced sooner
Under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, officers have been granted the power to revoke operating licences for several different types of venues if they are deemed to be playing a role in disorder.
It comes after drinkers across the country enjoyed a final pint and panic-bought alcohol from supermarkets yesterday following Boris Johnson’s order for all pubs, clubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and sports centres to close ‘as soon as they reasonably can and not to reopen tomorrow’.
Ken Marsh, head of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: ‘It’s very simple. Under licensing laws we can revoke their licences, and then they are breaking the law.’
Jeremy Hunt welcomed the government’s shutdown of pubs and restaurants, although he suggested the measures should have been enforced sooner.