A customer being served by a member of staff at Central England Co-op in Lichfield
A customer being served by a member of staff at Central England Co-op in Lichfield

A Lichfield retailer says store opening times have returned to normal.

Central England Co-op reduced operating hours in March to help staff restock shelves as demand for items rocketed at the start of lockdown.

But the company now says social distancing measures mean it can return to normal opening times.

Paul Dennis, retail director at Central England Co-op, said:

“I would like to thank our members and customers for their support during these uncertain times.

“We have all had to change the way we shop to keep our colleagues and customers safe and we continue to monitor and update what we are doing in our stores to ensure this remains the case.

“With that in mind we have listened to the feedback of our customers and this is why we are returning the opening hours of our stores to normal.”

Paul Dennis, Central England Co-op

Mr Dennis added that the company had been able to keep stores stocked during recent weeks.

“Our supply lines have been great during the coronavirus pandemic and our shelves stocked with all the food and essentials our communities need.

“Thank you to our customers once again for their continued support and also to our hardworking colleagues who continue to go above and beyond.”

Paul Dennis, Central England Co-op

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.