M&S Halifax cafe reopens for takeaways

After a successful trial at five locations, almost 50 M&S cafes will be opening for take away hot drinks only.

The foodhall store has been open throughout lockdown to allow local residents to shop for essentials.

Store Manager, Paul Walsh, shares some of the special measures M&S has brought in to help customers with their weekly shop.

"Our absolute priority has been to support the community in any way we can during this time.

"My team has been working extremely hard to make sure everyone can get what they need when they visit us, from daily deliveries from our fantastic suppliers to restocking the shelves throughout the day.

"At our stores across the region, our first hour of trading from 8am-9am on Monday and Thursday is reserved for our older and vulnerable customers, and the same on Tuesday and Friday for our brilliant NHS, health and social care workers.

"We’re also carefully managing the number of people shopping at any one time and we’ve introduced floor markings to ensure a two-metre space is maintained between customers, as well as installing protective Perspex screens at checkouts.

"Colleagues are also washing their hands every 30 minutes and thoroughly cleaning trolleys and baskets after every customer.

"We are continuing to work with our long-term partner Neighbourly, through our support for the Neighbourly Community Fund, which was set up to tackle the impact of Covid-19 on the most vulnerable communities.

"We kickstarted the fund with a donation of £100,000 and have launched a new online platform so our customers can donate any amount and help make an even bigger difference in our local communities. If you would like to donate to NHS Charities Together when shopping in store, simply speak to a colleague at the till point. 100% of your donation will go directly to NHS Charities Together."

"To support volunteers shopping on behalf of our most vulnerable, older and self-isolating customers, we have also introduced a brand-new initiative to provide an easy in-store payment method.

"Customers can order our ‘We’re All in this Together’ E-Gift Cards online and they will be emailed a unique code. The volunteer can then present this code at checkout and the value is deducted from the E-Gift Card without needing to exchange cash or bank cards."