One-fifth of British retailers don't plan to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown ends

• A fifth of UK retailers do not expect to reopen after the coronavirus crisis has subsided, British politicians have been told.
• Addressing the UK's Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, the chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, Andrew Goodacre, called the emergence spread of COVID-19 the "worst time ever for retail" in the country.
• It was announced on Thursday that major British clothing chains Oasis and Warehouse will close all stores indefinitely, resulting in more than 1,800 job losses.
• All 1,803 to have lost their jobs had already been furloughed amid a deeply challenging period for the UK's clothing industry.
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A fifth of UK retailers do not expect to reopen after the coronavirus crisis has subsided, British politicians have been told.

Addressing the UK's Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, the chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, Andrew Goodacre, called the emergence spread of COVID-19 the "worst time ever for retail" in the country.

On Thursday, it was announced that major British clothing chains Oasis and Warehouse will close all their stores indefinitely, resulting in more than 1,800 job losses across both firms.

All 1,803 to have lost their jobs had already been furloughed amid a deeply challenging period for the UK's retail industry.

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK was "past the peak" of its coronavirus outbreak during a daily briefing.

Johnson vowed to outline a "comprehensive plan" next week for reopening UK schools and rebooting the UK economy.

The 55-year-old Conservative Party politician had recently returned from a spell in hospital – including a three-night stay in intensive care – after he tested positive for COVID-19.

The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK is at least 26,000, after national figures were recently updated to include deaths that occurred in care homes as well as hospitals.