LONDON – A leading sports apparel retailer had slammed the UK government for its muddled thinking over when high street stores will be allowed to reopen. Chris Wootton, CFO of Fraser’s Group – formerly Sports Direct International – has warned that many retailers could be on the brink of going bust and said the industry is being sent confused messages. “We really can’t see the difference between a car showroom and a retail store, particularly a big retail store,” Wootton told ITV News. “Off-licences are open but sporting goods retailers are not. No one knows what the hell is going on and it’s a complete shambles.”
Wootton suggested the furore over Dominic Cummings has delayed the proposed phased reopening of the high street. He added: “The government clearly said they were going to start phasing opening from the first of June if the science allowed them to. We actually think that the whole Dominic Cummings fiasco over the weekend has clearly made them hesitant to act decisively and made them more cautious, so they’ve clearly pushed it back to the 15 June.
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