What happens if we're not interested in going to the shops when they reopen? | Andy Beckett

British retail, already challenged by digital, has been hammered by Covid. Thousands of jobs could be lost

Under capitalism, shops are one of the places where our society is supposed to feel most alive. Window displays beckon. Products are piled high. Stock changes constantly. Desires are created and never quite satisfied.

For most of the past year, shops in Britain - one of the economies most driven by consumerism - have not been like that at all. Even the grandest London department stores were often eerie places during the few months they were open last summer and autumn: customers sparse, staff trying to keep busy, the same goods on the shelves for much longer than normal. In its most physical form, British consumerism has slowed down and frequently ground to a halt.

Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist