DFS to re-open showroom in Inverness in next stage of phased re-opening plan

Furniture store DFS is reopening its store in Inverness as well as others across Scotland.

Part of a move to reopen its stores in Scotland in line with a relaxation of lockdown measures eight stores – including the outlet in Inverness's Millburn Road – will welcome customers back from tomorrow.

The showroom will operate with extensive new processes and safety measures in place including: social distancing, daily temperature checks for employees, limiting the number of customers in the showroom at any one time and introducing hand sanitiser stations.

The firm is also offering two new initiatives it says will help limit the amount of time customers have to spend in store: a new appointment service for customers who want to seek advice and purchase furniture as quickly and efficiently as possible; and a comfort test service that allows customers to pop in store to test a product then complete their order from home over the phone, or on the DFS website.

Managing director Nick Smith said: "Since temporarily closing the majority of our operations 12 weeks ago, we have assessed and adapted our processes across our manufacturing, retail and delivery operations to ensure we can prioritise colleague and customer safety.

"We have been careful to test these new operating processes by reopening just a handful of stores to begin with before expanding more widely across our estate.

"The relatively larger size of DFS’s stores means we can effectively maintain strict social distancing by implementing additional safety measures in line with government and British Retail Consortium guidance.

"We are well prepared to welcome colleagues and customers back into our stores across Scotland, as we have done in England and Northern Ireland."

DFS has also restarted limited deliveries across Scotland though it is still not delivering to any homes where the customer is shielding.

In those instances, DFS will offer a revised doorstep delivery option, or will store the order until delivery can be fulfilled safely.

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