May 20, 2020 11.49 am This story is over 46 months old

Poundland re-opens Lincoln High Street store

Both Lincoln High Street stores are now open

Poundland re-opened its store at 233 High Street in Lincoln on May 20. Photo: Google Street View

A Lincoln High Street store is among 15 being re-opened by discount retailer Poundland on Wednesday during the coronavirus lockdown.

Poundland had kept most of its stores open for essential shopping, but in March it placed one in nine outlets in ‘hibernation’. The Lincoln store at 436 High Street, along with outlets in Gainsborough and Grantham, remained open.

‘Operation Sleeping Beauty’ was launched this week to ‘reawaken stores that were temporarily closed’.

Thirty four stores re-opened on Monday. A further 15 followed on Wednesday, May 20, including the Lincoln store located at 233 High Street next to the Walkabout pub.

Poundland intends to re-open the final batch of stores as early as next week, subject to agreeing final details with a handful of shopping centre landlords.

Health and safety measures are in place including, marshals at the door to limit the number of customers in store at any one time and floor markers to help people maintain social distancing.

Austin Cooke, Poundland retail director, said: “We’ve been encouraged by the response from customers hearing about our stores coming out of hibernation this week.

“Our colleagues are glad to be back at work in their stores and we know customers are reassured by the protection measures we’ve put in place so their local Poundland can open again.

“We’re moving to reopen all hibernating Poundland stores steadily and carefully, making health and safety for customers and colleagues our top priority, just as we have in all the stores that continued to remain open throughout the last few weeks.”