Queuing for hours in front of McDonald’s or IKEA? No thanks!

I’m all for the return of shopping and restaurants – even if it involves a new way of navigating stores – but we will each have our own favourites we want to return to, writes Janet Street-Porter

Customers queue at IKEA, Nottingham before it reopens following closure on 1 June, 2020 in Nottingham (Getty Images)

On the day McDonald’s re-opened their drive-thru outlets, hundreds of customers sat in their cars for hours waiting to purchase a Big Mac. Understandably, they included mothers sick of cooking every day in lockdown, worn down by whingeing kids.

I’ve missed good food and companionship in lockdown, but not the chance to buy new tablemats. But maybe I’m weird considering that when IKEA opened its doors this week, shoppers waited patiently in line from the early hours for a chance to enjoy the mind-numbing experience that is shuffling around a confusing store. Apparently they desperately needed to pick up fluffy rugs they don’t need and flat-pack units that reduce most of us to tears when you try to assemble them.

On 15 June, a host of retailers will fully re-open – so what would you be prepared to queue for?