WITH just two days to go, retailers in Basingstoke's Festival Place are busily getting ready to welcome visitors once again.

On Monday, April 12 and after three long months of lockdown, the centre’s non-essential retailers will be able to open their doors again.

And for those shoppers who have missed the whole experience of ‘try before you buy’ – even fitting rooms will be opened in many stores.

While all the teams at Festival Place are excited to be fully reopened, the centre has of course been partially open since the UK’s third lockdown at the beginning of January, with essential shops such as supermarkets, banks and pharmacies open.

Festival Place Director Neil Churchill said: “This has been a long winter for everyone, but we can all see light at the end of the tunnel. To say that we’re excited to reopen fully again is an understatement – we can’t wait!”

Here’s what you can expect from a visit to Festival Place from Monday …

Opening hours

The centre is open from 9:30am-6pm Monday – Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday.

Customers are advised to check individual retailer pages for their specific hours as these may differ.

New signage

Visitors will notice that new signage has been placed around the centre reminding of key safety features, such as social distancing, following the one-way system, and for those who can, to wear face coverings.

Mr Churchill added: “All we ask is that we continue to ensure the safety of each other whether customers or employees, by following the government’s guidelines on social distancing and wearing face coverings where possible.”

Cleaning regime

Hand sanitisers remain at the centre’s entrances and a thorough cleaning regime will be carried out regularly throughout the day so that customers can maintain a high level of hygiene. And from Monday (April 12) all the public toilets at Festival Place will also be open.

Traffic light system

Festival Place has also reintroduced its traffic light system on its website as an extra safety measure to inform shoppers when the centre is busy.

If you’re hoping to catch the centre at a quieter time, it is worth checking before making the trip:

  • Green: Now is a great time to visit the Centre. It’s nice and quiet at the moment.
  • Yellow: Now is a popular time to visit the Centre. It’s getting a little busier and you may have to queue a short while at some stores
  • Amber: It’s very popular at the moment so allow extra time. You may have to queue a short while at some stores and when accessing the car park
  • Red: It’s very popular at the moment and you may need to queue for a short period. It’s very busy right now so please allow extra time when visiting as you may have to queue to gain entry to the Centre and Car Park and some stores.

For the latest information on Festival Place please visit: https://www.festivalplace.co.uk/welcomeback