Inverness health store glad to see city getting back to normal
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Mail order and free deliveries helped to keep one long-established Inverness store going throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The Health Shop, in Baron Taylor’s Street, was able to stay open during the lockdown but, because the majority of businesses were closed in the city centre, footfall dropped dramatically.
Linda Sellar, who runs the business with her husband Martin, said: “My husband and I are partners and he took on the shop in 1984. We didn’t close and we were open from 10am until 4pm.”
She said her husband did the free local deliveries himself and those which were being sent further afield were posted out – however, as more people have returned to the city centre that side of the business has calmed down.
As the lockdown restrictions were eased they have been able to stay open until 5pm and two out of the three members of staff who were furloughed have since been able to return to work.
She said: “It was quiet during lockdown and we were just letting two people in the shop at a time. Now we let in three.”
Safety measures which have been introduced at the shop include: perspex screens; hand sanitiser stations; and social distancing signs.
Mrs Sellar said the city centre was now noticeably busier and added: “It was like a ghost town but now there are a lot more people coming in. You just feel it’s a bit more like normality.”
She said she felt people would feel confident and safe returning to the city centre. “You do adapt to things and I think most people are quite sensible.”
Mrs Sellar said she had received good feedback from returning customers and added: “Just in the last two or three weeks, we are seeing people we haven’t seen for months.”
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