As of yesterday, homeware shops and garden centres in Scotland were permitted to re-open, 100 days after they were compelled to close on Boxing Day.

The curtailment of click & collect services undertaken by non-essential retailers also ended yesterday, although customer collections must be by appointment. However, curbs on walk-in food takeaway will not be rescinded for a further three weeks, even though the restrictions were introduced at the same time as those on click and collect in mid-January.

Garden centres and homeware stores were removed from the essential retailer list in late December and compelled to close when the current lockdown came into effect on Boxing Day. The curbs on food-to-go takeaway – affecting coffee shops, bakeries, and quick service restaurants amongst others - and click & collect came into effect on January 16.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “After 100 days of being forcibly shuttered homeware stores and garden centres can finally get back to doing what they do best, serving their customers, at what is traditionally a critical trading point in the year for them. The decision to expand the list of essential retailers and to start to unwind some of the elevated lockdown restrictions are positive steps. Its good news for shoppers and for the economy, providing a much needed cashflow and confidence fillip for the retailers concerned and their suppliers.

“Retailers are working hard to prepare for reopening and to maintain a safe shopping experience, and shoppers themselves can play their part by adhering to the rules on face-coverings, social distancing, and queuing, and by being respectful of shop staff.”