You may soon be able to buy LEGO around the clock, as the UK government has announced that shops can open for 24 hours a day in England.
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick says that local councils will be able to waive restrictions on retail opening hours over the Christmas period and into January. The aim is apparently to make shopping 'more pleasant and safer' amid the ongoing pandemic, and to provide a boost to businesses that may otherwise be struggling.
The new rules will come into place on Wednesday, when shops reopen following the last month's nationwide lockdown. So far, clothing retailer Primark has committed to opening 11 of its stores for the full 24-hour shopping period.
While the decision to extend opening hours ultimately falls to individual retailers, it means we could soon see LEGO Stores opening around the clock. Whether the LEGO brand retail team will take advantage of the new rules remains to be seen, however. Initial considerations may involve whether the foot traffic in the early hours can justify extended opening hours, or the potential hiring of more staff to cover those hours.
"With just over three weeks until Christmas, shoppers will welcome the additional opportunities to shop that the government's statement supports," Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, told the BBC.
The 24-hour opening rules would only apply from Monday to Saturday, in line with current hours for supermarkets. Stores will also be given more leeway over delivery times to free up roads.
"None of us, I suspect, enjoys navigating the crowds, and none would relish that when social distancing is so important to controlling the virus," Jenrick wrote in the Daily Telegraph. He also noted the government's desire to take pressure off public transport, but you may struggle to find a 24-hour bus service beyond the M25.
Of course, you can always just do your LEGO shopping online at LEGO.com. But with so many sets on backorder or temporarily out of stock, your only option may be to head down to your local LEGO Store – potentially at any time of day or night.
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