London | Fancy a shopping trip with friends, to try on a few clothes, browse for a gift, linger in a bookstore? The coronavirus peak may have passed, but those plans might be on ice for a long while yet, if guidance from the British retail industry is anything to go by.

In a set of post-lockdown guidelines for non-food shops, Britain's retail industry body and the main retail trade union have painted a picture of shopping that makes it look a lot more functional than fun.