Tania Dolores is looking forward to opening the doors of her shoe shop for the first time in two months.

Mrs Dolores is keeping her fingers crossed after the government indicated a series of measures aimed at moving the island towards a ’new normality’.

A final decision was due to be announced today (Thursday) by the government over the re-opening of non-essential retail outlets.

She has been selling women’s footwear from Parliament Street, Ramsey for three years and feels ’very confident’ she will be able to welcome customers again from next Monday.

All set

She told the Manx Independent: ’I’m all set to open up again, we need to move forward. I have a business to run and need to start selling my summer stock so I can pay my bills and start looking at buying winter stock.’

The shop will provide hand sanitiser and there will be strict limits on numbers that can be in the store.

And because of social distancing Mrs Dolores will be unable to place shoes on customers’ feet herself.

Soft furnishings retailer By Design, in Parliament Street, Ramsey, is gearing up to open the doors again on Monday and in a message to customers a spokesman said: ’We will be limiting the amount of people allowed in the shop at any given time. We will only be accepting card payments and we will have clear signage regarding social distancing.

’We will have a queueing system in place outside the shop with clear signage and we will do everything possible to ensure both our staff and customers are safe .

’Above all we cannot wait to see all our lovely customers again.’

The shop, which sells items such as bed linen, cushions and throws, along with a range of designer products, has promised it will be limiting the number of people in the shop at any one time along with implementing other social distancing measures.

Manx Telecom chief executive Gary Lamb said the team at the company’s Strand Street, Douglas, shop have used its down time to prepare it for reopening with a new one-way layout as well as putting extensive hygiene and social distancing precautions in place.

Mr Lamb said: ’We are just waiting for the green light from government and will be ready to go as soon as it is deemed safe for non-essential shops to open again.’

Sam Newson, managing director of Newson Trading Limited in Strand Street, Douglas, is preparing for a Monday opening as long as the final thumbs-up is given.

The shop sells items such as outdoor clothing and workwear and Mr Newson said they had successfully managed to tick along with online sales since the shutdown because of the Covid-19 crisis. And he is looking forward to welcoming members of staff back: ’My staff must have some of the best-kept lawns in the island. It will be nice to get going again.’

lTomorrow’s Courier will contain details of what the government has said.