'It's good to see the buzz': Northampton town centre business manager hoping to grow on huge success of first day of easing of lockdown

Northampton town centre continues to buzz this afternoon with huge queues in still in place at Primark and Debenhams. Mark Mullen, Northampton town centre BID operation manager, said: “It’s great to see that people have come back and it’s good to see that buzz of people.

“It’s great to see the queues and the guidelines in place.

“We can see how habits and behaviours have changed on the back of the pandemic.

“We have worked with the police and licensing to make it as safe as it possibly can be. “Hopefully we can all move onto the next stage together.”

Mullen continued: "I think we have seen a better response this time around even from what we saw just before Christmas.

"I've never seen queues as long even at places I didn't expect to see them.

"Hopefully it continues and it continues to grow and grow. "I think it's not until something is taken away that you really appreciate it like with the high street.

"Retailers have come up with different ways to serve customers but it doesn't replace the shopping experience.

"All the retailers of different sectors return together which creates an eco system that supports one each other, which is great."