Rediscover – the fun of shopping

Remember when you’d arrange to meet your friends for a shopping trip to buy something new for a night out or special event or you’d take your mum out for the afternoon to browse the shops and enjoy a coffee and a cake. It seems like such a long time since we were able to do that but now that lockdown restrictions have been eased, its time to rediscover the fun of shopping.
It doesn’t matter if you have a specific purpose for your shopping trip, a list of things you need or just a desire to look in the shops and see what takes your fancy, shopping can be fun.
For some people it’s a group activity and they’ll get a few friends together and enjoy the time they spend and the advice they get regarding the cow print shoes they really want to buy, much to their friends’ amusement, but for others there is nothing nicer than an hour or two alone, strolling down the mall, peeking in the shops and treating themselves to something new.
After a year in and out of lockdown many of us will be ready for new clothes, either because of general wear and tear or because we’ve changed size and shape a little over the last 12 months (for some it has been cake that has got us through and for others it has been keeping fit!). Whatever the reason, as we take those steps back towards venturing out again it is worth remembering the fun you’ve had over the years when shopping and be safe in the knowledge that Lakeside Village has put in place lots of extra steps and measures to make sure that you feel safe.
One great shopping tip is to venture into a store that you don’t normally go into, exploring a new shop and its products can be lots of fun and you are bound to find something you wouldn’t have expected to see.
We all have our own ways of shopping, do you always start at the Next end or the Marks and Spencer’s end, change it up and little and start at a different end.
Seeing familiar faces and having a chat with the staff can not only brighten up your shopping trip but will also make a difference to their day, remember some of them have been at home too while the shops have been closed.
We can all work together to make sure that visiting feels safe but also that it is a fun and enjoyable experience. We know that in the stores, you’ll have your masks on but on the mall, as an outdoor centre, we’re looking forward to seeing your smiles.