Poundland in Howard Centre, Bedford, reopens

Poundland has reopened its second shop in the town.

During the lockdown, the store in Harpur Street had remained opened - and from this week, the second store in the Howard Centre will reopen too.

Managing director Barry Williams said: “As an essential retailer, we’ve continued to support customers in hundreds of towns – especially those who manage their budgets week-to-week and find it difficult to bulk buy.

“And our store colleagues have done much more than their day-job. They’ve also played a vital role, delivering care packages to other frontline workers and those in need in their communities.”

The reopened store will have robust health and safety measures in place. Measures customers can expect to see include:

Marshals at the door to limit the number of customers in store at any one time

Floor markers to help customers maintain social distancing

Perspex screens at manned checkouts to protect colleagues and customers

The closure of every other self-checkout to make appropriate social distancing easier

Rigorous hygiene routines that include colleagues washing their hands every 20 minutes and key surfaces being wiped down every hour.