KFC and DIY store Wickes announce plans to reopen branches as phone data reveals Britain is continuing to edge out of lockdown with rush hour traffic up two percentage points on week before
Fast food giant KFC has announced it will reopen another 80 branches for delivery as Britain continues to edge out of lockdown.
The fried chicken chain says 100 of its stores up and down the country will be able to bring orders to customers' homes from next Monday.
Meanwhile, DIY retailer Wickes has revealed it will be reopening six stores with strict social distancing measures from tomorrow in Pudsey, Cheltenham, Preston, Sevenoaks, Cricklewood and Hailsham.
The news comes as phone data suggests Brits are making more journeys on the roads than they were a week ago.
DIY retailer Wickes, pictured, has revealed it will be reopening six stores with strict social distancing measures from tomorrow in Pudsey, Cheltenham, Preston, Sevenoaks, Cricklewood and Hailsham
KFC closed all of its restaurants on March 25, despite government guidance stating that takeaways could remain open.
The firm said at the time the decision has been made 'to help protect the wellbeing and safety of our teams and of our guests'.
In the subsequent weeks, however, it gradually began to open some kitchens and dozens more will be following suit over the coming days.
The company said in a statement today: 'We're reopening our restaurants in a responsible way, with stringent processes and hygiene measures in place.
'We'll be serving a limited menu to help the smaller kitchen teams maintain social distancing.
'Opening these restaurants will mean that we can continue donating food to NHS and key workers - we'll be delivering 10,000 meals a week from these restaurants in partnership with Deliveroo.'
It follows in the footsteps of Nandos, Burger King and Wagamama, who have all announced plans to reopen restaurants this week.
Paula MacKenzie, managing director for KFC UK & Ireland, said: 'I'm really proud of the way we, with our franchise partners, have been able to carefully get some of our restaurants back open for delivery over the last two weeks.
'This next stage allows us to continue to provide wider access to hot food for those who need it most, whether that's key workers after a long shift or those working from home who need a quick, affordable dinner for the family.'
Meanwhile, more journeys are being made on Britain's roads compared to last week, data from Apple suggests
The tech giant has released figures which show how frequently its Maps app has been used compared to a 'baseline figure' on January 13 - before lockdowns were enforced around the globe.
In the UK, usage was up nearly two percentage points on Monday, April 27, compared to seven days before - a trend that was also reflected in London specifically.
The iPhone-maker announced it would be releasing the data earlier this month in an attempt to track how fewer people are driving, walking and using public transport than at the start of the year as a result of Covid-19 measures.
However, Apple insists that sharing the data is not a breach of its customers' privacy, as it said in a statement: 'The information is generated by counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions.
'Maps does not associate mobility data with a user's Apple ID, and Apple does not keep a history of where a user has been.'
Similar data from TomTom shows how congestion is still well down on the average since people were told to stay at home for everything other than essential journeys last month, but has been gradually increasing in recent days.
No comments: