Retailers offer workable solution to Welsh Government’s non-essential items regulation

This morning the WRC, CBI Wales and ACS has presented the Welsh Government with our recommendations to resolve the confusion over non-essential items. We hope government will agree to these recommendations and the people of Wales can refocus all their energies on respecting the Fire Break.

We believe these recommendations will fulfil retail’s role in tackling the spread of the virus while allowing for discretion to be used on an individual basis – as recommended by Health Minister Vaughan Gething yesterday.

Our recommendations are as follows:

1. To limit the spread of the virus and allow for individual discretion, retailers will prominently display Welsh Government approved signage in front of known non-essential items and in communal areas. The signage will make clear the government’s regulation and the need to abide by it.
2. This message will be reinforced through in-store announcements and social media messaging. Advising customers to put off non-essential purchases
3. We recommend the individual customer is trusted to make their own decision as to whether a product is non-essential or not, taking into account the notices displayed throughout the store and their immediate needs
4. If the customer goes ahead with the purchase of the item the final liability ought to rest with the customer
5. Retailers will remove special in-store promotional displays of non-essential items in order to minimise browsing and avoid triggering a non-essential purchase.

These recommendations would mean non-essential items are not removed from shelves – or cordoned off in stores - but large notices are placed in front of the products and in communal spaces informing customers of the Welsh Government’s regulations and the Welsh public are trusted to make the right decision.

We look forward to engaging with Welsh Government again this morning and we hope consensus can be reached.