'SUPPORT local retail' is the message from shop owners as they prepare to reopen next month.

The 'roadmap' out of the current lockdown, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month, indicated that non-essential shops will be able to reopen from Monday, April 12 - depending on government data around that time.

Non-essential shops have been closed since the beginning of the year, and traders say they can't wait to reopen. They are encouraging customers to support their local high street.

Gill Crump, owner of Instant Redress on East Street, said: "We are chomping at the bit to reopen. We are so lucky in Bridport still has a wonderful range of independent shops - I think we tend to take the variety of shops for granted in our town but when you speak to holidaymakers they can’t believe the range we have.

"It’s so important that people get out and support local businesses. The pandemic has hit the industry so badly and many businesses have used up their savings just to stay open so we really are relying on the support of the locals.

"There is room for Amazon in our lives but independent shops of Bridport still have an awful lot to offer."

Instant Redress was previously a fancy dress shop but is now also a clothing store.

Gill added: "Everyone has been tweaking and adapting their businesses as a result of the environment we’ve found ourselves in. Personally, I have brought in a lot more clothing - it's not just fancy dress anymore so hopefully people will come in and have a good look."

Clocktower Music at St Michael's Trading Estate hopes to reopen on Wednesday, April 14.

Owner Roy Gregory said: "I am very much looking forward to reopening. We are much more of a destination shop and don’t sell on the internet so we're very much looking forward to the return of the public.

"We've been buying plenty of stock so customers will return to a very full shop of records. The appeal of the shop is for people to have a browse while they are here and see what we have to offer.

"After the last lockdown people were very supportive and we were very busy so hopefully it will be similar this time."

Clocktower Music will also benefit from the completion of the restoration of the estate's Tower Building, due over the early months of summer - making the shop more accessible to the public.

James Dixon, owner of Lyme Regis gift shop Persuasion, said: "We're excited to get back. After the last lockdown so many locals came out and spent money to support their local shops, so we really hope it will be the same again.

"It’s important for a lot of businesses which have been struggling over this period to hit the ground running and hopefully there won’t be a third wave and another lockdown.

"We're also very much looking forward to welcome the holidaymakers back again when restrictions are lifted further."

Antonia Squire, owner of the Book Shop in Bridport's South Street, said: "It’s been a long few months and the customers are desperate to get back in. We're still running a click and collect service so we’re talking to our customers and they are always asking when we are open to browse.

"We are very much looking forward to getting back to some form of normality. Welcoming people back into the shop is going to be wonderful.

“I feel the government has made the right decision with a more cautious approach – it’s better to be safe than sorry. It was the right thing to do as we needed time for vaccine to roll out.

“We haven’t heard much in terms of rules but we’re assuming we’ll be operating as before. We are set up for that and the community is very much used to it now. Everyone is familiar with how the process works so we’re not overly concerned about that."