Support technology - appointment only technology, click and collect and contactless payments

Small shops and businesses should be given support to introduce appointment, contactless and click and collect technology.

'Appointment only' shopping is a safe and slow way to restart small retail businesses that may struggle to enforce social distancing (staff and customers) and manage queues for entry.

This will also allow business managers to understand demand/busy times and allow them to plan/order stock/bring back staff accordingly. It may even be a useful and efficient model for some small businesses post-Covid.

For the public, this will reduce the need for queuing, potentially unnecessary travel and provide a greater degree of confidence that businesses are safe.

Click and collect allows for limited interactions between public and customers, allows businesses to better understand demand and can limit need for unnecessary travel.

Contactless payment reduces time at cash registers and avoids handling and sharing cash.

Businesses should be encouraged to adopt these practices, and offered financial support to introduce any relevant technologies as required.

Allows slow, steady and managed reopening of retail.

Promotes social/physical distancing and safe practices for public.

Reduces queues outside stores (which will be likely for v.small shops, and potentially dangerous and hard to manage in small high street environments)

Reduces unnecessary travel (for example, travelling to a store to find it is closed or has not got the item you are looking for)