The update is expected to expand the list of essential retailers, and re-affirm that the curtailment of click & collect services undertaken by non-essential retailers will end in early April.

Late last month the SRC wrote to Scottish Ministers, calling for homeware stores and garden centres to be re-admitted to the list of essential shops. They also called for the curbs on food-to-go takeaway – which prevent customers walking in to order takeaway from coffee shops, bakeries, and quick service restaurants – to be rescinded from early April.

Homeware stores and garden centres were removed from the essential retailer list and compelled to close from Boxing Day, eleven weeks ago. The curbs on food-to-go takeaway and click & collect came into effect at the same time on 16 January.

The SRC’s letter to Ministers noted retailers elsewhere in the UK have earlier indicative opening dates, and called for flexibility to accelerate the schedule for opening in Scotland if efforts to combat the virus and expand vaccinations continue to succeed. The SRC also sought clarity on plans to reopen the wider economy, including encouraging office workers and visitors back to town centres.

Many non-essential shops in Scotland have been compelled to close for seven of the past twelve months. Under the existing Framework, non-essential stores are expected to remain shuttered for a further six weeks, with the SRC estimating these shops will suffer lost revenues of £130 million each week. The first four months of the year traditionally accounts for 30% of annual retail sales.

Speaking ahead of the Covid Framework update tomorrow, David Lonsdale, the director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Given the welcome progress being made on bearing down on the virus and expanding the vaccination programme hopefully Ministers will be able to take some modest but important steps to signal the re-opening of parts of Scotland’s retail economy and a firmer sense of the route back to trading as we emerge from lockdown.

“Early priorities for the sector include an unwinding of the curbs on food-to-go takeaway alongside click and collect, and re-admitting garden centres and homeware shops to the list of essential retailers. If there is scope to go further, we’ve suggested additions to the essential retail list based on the limited number of categories of non-essential retail currently permitted to operate click & collect such as retailers of electrical goods, baby equipment, clothing and footwear.

“Retailers will be ready to re-open and do so safely. The industry stands ready to play its part in getting the Scottish economy moving again, after a torrid twelve months which has seen retail sales and shopper footfall plummet and shop vacancies spike to a six-year high. What our members want most of all is to get back to trading when it is safe to do so, looking after customers and providing the goods and services we all need and want.”