// Kurt Geiger will open 24 of its 57 stores from June 15
// All store profits for the first month to be donated to the NHS
// All Kurt Geiger stores reconfigured to be Covid-secure with social distancing cues in place
Kurt Geiger has said that all store profits from the first month of post-lockdown trading will be donated to the NHS.
From Monday, the footwear retailer said it would open 24 of its 57 stores across the UK, starting with smaller “local” stores that have high numbers of click-and-collect pick-ups, as well as all of its out-of-town outlets that are easily accessible and have parking.
Kurt Geiger also pledged to donate the first month of all store profits to NHS Charities Together to help it reach its target of £1 million for the NHS by Christmas.
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“We are obviously excited for our stores to start reopening and get back to work,” chief executive Neil Clifford said.
“However, as the ‘new normal’ way of life begins, we want to keep recognising the staggering efforts made by our incredible NHS throughout the pandemic and as such, we have committed to donating 100 per cent of store profits for the first month of reopening to NHS Charities Together’.”
All reopened stores will feature Kurt Geiger’s We Are One tote bag in their window displays.
The tote bags will not only be available for purchase but customers will also be given a badge to celebrate front line workers and to thank them for contributing towards Kurt Geiger’s £1 million goal for the NHS.
“These store profit donations, along with the profits from the sale of our We Are One tote bag and new t-shirt will help us reach that target by Christmas,” Clifford said.
“There is no doubt that Covid-19 and Lockdown has changed retail and fashion for the foreseeable future – I believe consumers will now shop with a ‘conscience’ and we all need to be more aware of making a positive impact in all we do.
“Likewise, fashion needs to be more sustainable and less changeable which will result in fewer but more enduring collections.”
Last month, Kurt Geiger said its reopening strategy would have health and safety procedures that staff and customers must to adhere to.
These include only allowing one customer in store per 161sq ft of space – double the government guidelines – along with the standard availability of hand sanitisers, two-metre physical distancing and queues to limit in-store customer numbers.
Kurt Geiger also said anti-viral cleaning solutions would be used continually throughout the day to clean all surfaces to the “highest standards”, as well as perspex screens at all cash desks and enforcing card-only payments.
Meanwhile, customers will be asked to wear disposable pop-socks or their own socks when trying on shoes, sanitisers will be compulsory, and all shoes that have been tried on but not purchased will go into quarantine for 24 hours before another customer can try them on.
All customer returns will also be handled with disposable gloves and returned stock will not be available for resale for at least 24 hours.
Kurt Geiger said these procedures were expected to cost the business an additional £75,000 per store this year.
The following Kurt Geiger stores will all be open from June 15:
• Covent Garden
• Trafford Centre, Manchester
• Liverpool
• Westfield White City
• Westfield Stratford
• Bluewater, Kent
• Birmingham Bullring
• Meadowhall, Sheffield
• Lakeside, Essex
• Newcastle Eldon Square
• Brent Cross, London
• St Christopher’s Place, Central London
• Leeds
• Portobello Road, London
Outlet stores:
• Cheshire Oaks, Cheshire
• Portsmouth Gunwharf Quay
• East Midlands Outlet Village
• York Outlet Village
• Swindon Outlet Village
• NEC Resorts World, Birmingham
• Wembley Outlet Village
• Braintree Outlet Village
• Ashford Outlet Village
• Bridgend Outlet Village
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