Queues of shoppers lined high streets across England on Monday as non-essential shops reopened. Though many businesses were relieved to welcome customers back after months of financial uncertainty, some shop workers were concerned that the risks posed by coronavirus were still too high. The Guardian spoke to workers at non-essential retailers about their experience of reopening. ‘If my employer says come in, I’ll be there’ James*, pawnbroker, north-west “We’re dealing with cash, people’s goods and phones. I don’t know if that person is ill, or who they’re mingling with before they come into contact with us. I’m trying to carry on as normal but it makes you paranoid,” said James, who works at a pawnbroker in the north-west. “I’m anxious about passing it on to family members who are high risk.” James said some of his customers don’t believe that the risks posed by coronavirus are real, with some even claiming it is a theory, and subsequently refusing to follow physical distancing guidelines. He does not feel his company has done enough to safeguard him from this. “The company have put profits over anything else. I feel like more could have been done in regards to, well, everything really. They’re talking about making money, and not asking if people are well,” he said. Despite this, he feels he has no choice but to work. “I’m in the north-west, where the R rate isn’t very far below 1, so I think it’s a bit too early, I’d like to see that lower first. It makes me apprehensive, but I’ve got a mortgage and bills to pay, so if my employer says come in, I’ll be there.” ‘When we opened the door, nobody was waiting’ Heidi, gift shop owner, Ambleside, Cumbria Heidi Schramli spent lockdown redecorating her shop with her daughter Wren, and had high hopes for a flurry of customers on reopening. “Locals who were passing by while we painted the shop were asking about opening, so we had an expectation of a queue outside. But when we opened the door, nobody was waiting. The first person who came through the door was asking for a parking disc,” she said. “We wanted there to be fireworks, but we felt so deflated.” Despite their disappointment, Heidi said she felt immense relief on reopening the shop, describing it as “like taking the lid off a pressure cooker”, with all worries about reopening under lockdown restrictions disappearing instantaneously. The approach of customers to coronavirus measures has been very different, with some wearing full PPE and others picking up lots of items as they browse. “It’s most definitely been a positive experience,” she said. “It’s been a relief that although we’re still very quiet, people are still appreciative of what we do.” ‘People are treating it as an outing’ Abigail*, art supplies shop staff, London Abigail, 24, who returned to work on Monday, said she has been surprised at the frustration she feels towards her customers. “We ought to be glad to see them, but instead I feel that they are essentially putting us at risk for items they can live without, or order online. It’s hard not to show anger, but people are treating it as an outing. For them it’s just one interaction, but it means we’re interacting with a hundred people a day,” she said. “We must be in work and at risk, or else risk our jobs.” While Abigail said she doesn’t feel it’s too early to open, she described the precautions as “surface level”, and said she’s conscious of putting her 70-year-old parents, who she lives with, at risk. According to Abigail, few of her customers are rigidly following the physical distancing measures in the shop, and this has got worse since the start of the week. “At the beginning everyone was being super careful, but now people’s awareness has gone. I think people have given up a bit. One guy stood back waiting carefully, and he stood out because everyone else was quite complacent. “A lot of customers just think it’s about themselves and how safe they are, not the workers.” ‘We’ve done the best we can to give ourselves the best chance’ Tom Berry, record shop owner, Stroud, Gloucestershire “It’s so important for us to reopen, both in terms of income, and in staying a community hub,” said Tom, who runs a record shop in Stroud with his business partner, Sean Roe. “It’s been really positive. Record shops are very emotive things, and it’s great for people to come back to them.” Berry and Roe have redecorated during the lockdown, and have put screening around the counter. They also ask customers to sanitise their hands on entry and exit to enable them to browse the records safely, and are currently allowing only one household group into the shop at a time. “It’s definitely been worth all the work. We’ve done the best we can to give ourselves the best chance,” Berry said. “Time will tell whether [reopening non-essential shops this week] was the right decision,” he said. “It’s interesting that we can reopen, but children can’t go back to school. There’s definitely a question mark over the order.” ‘We’re already making rounds of tea and sharing desks’ Phoebe*, kitchen showroom worker, Wales Phoebe* works in a kitchen showroom in Wales, and returned to work a week ahead of other shops reopening. She said that in less than two weeks, the coronavirus measures at work have relaxed significantly. “We began by being very strict and diligent about wiping down surfaces, using our own stationery equipment and only making drinks for ourselves. However, this is relaxing on an hourly basis,” she said. “We’re already retuning to our old ways of making rounds of tea and sharing desks.” Customers in Phoebe’s showroom have mainly appeared relaxed about the risks, with very few avoiding touching surfaces or wearing PPE. “We offer to use masks with customers, but nine out of 10 say no. Because of the nature of our work, most customers have already had tradesmen and builders in their home throughout lockdown, so they’re a bit more relaxed,” she said. “It would be silly to say I wasn’t worried about the virus; it would only take one customer to spread the infection. But I’ve got to get on with my job.” * name changed at interviewee’s request