As shops prepare to reopen, confidence among Britain’s finance chiefs is booming. Is this justified?

The British Retail Consortium is taking a safety-first stance amid growing optimism in the boardroom and on the markets, writes James Moore

The doors will soon be open. But will an expected surge of shoppers prove sustainable? (AFP via Getty Images)

We’ve been here before, haven’t we? Last summer, in fact. This week sees the next phase of the great reopening, but even the bombastic Boris Johnson seems disinclined to get ahead of himself. 

His government’s being a tad more cautious this time around. There’s certainly no Eat Out to Help Out 2.0 in the offing. 

Caution is also the watchword among non-essential shops, which will be reopening their doors. Having missed out on £30bn of sales, they’re desperate to get moving, but all the talk is of safety.