July 24th, 2020: Northampton town centre businesses will be given free packs of face masks for their customers – as coverings become mandatory in shops and supermarkets across England.
From Saturday 25th July – a day after the new rules come into force – Northampton town centre Business Improvement District (BID) will start distributing 12,500 disposable masks to 250 customer-facing businesses. Only BID-levy paying shops and retailers where face coverings are required will be eligible.
Mark Mullen, BID Operations Manager, says the short-term initiative was a fast response to concerns from local shop and retail owners.
“We are delighted to have turned this around so quickly to support our local businesses, many of whom were worried that customers might not be aware of the new rules and come shopping in town without their own face coverings,” said Mark.
“Shops and retail outlets have already had months off from trading, so they won’t want to turn people away. We’ve made it so they won’t have to do that. Instead they will have a sufficient supply of disposable masks which they can give out for free as a temporary measure while members of the public get used to the new rules.
“In the long-term we urge shoppers to wear reusable coverings, for now though, this initiative will bridge the gap and ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable town centre experience.”
For more information email: info@northamptonbid.co.uk or call the BID office on 01604 837766.
