SHOPPERS keen to try before they buy welcomed official guidance allowing changing rooms to open with non-essential shops, but many high street stores have kept the facilities closed.

Clothes shoppers are officially allowed to use fitting rooms again after more than a year following the reopening of non-essential shops on April 12.

The Government released new guidance on fitting rooms after advising shops after the first lockdown to keep changing rooms closed “wherever possible” unless essential.

Retailers have been calling for updated regulations in an effort to compete with online rivals, reduce return rates and restore faith in high street businesses.

The guidance published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) allows for fitting rooms to be reopened provided shops introduce measures to minimise transmission of the virus.

Stores are advised to deploy a staff member to control entry to changing areas and allow only one person at a time into a cubicle, with exceptions allowed for those who have disabilities or are shopping with children.

Managers are advised to leave a gap of “several minutes” between customers and cubicles should be cleaned regularly.

The guidance adds that retailers should create “procedures to manage clothes that have been tried on, to minimise contact between customers and staff”.

However, it stops short of advising that items should be quarantined after customers have tried them on.

The guidance says: “The enclosed nature of fitting rooms may result in increased risk of transmission of Covid-19. They should therefore be carefully managed to reduce that risk.

“Retail businesses should update their risk assessments for each premises where fitting rooms are being used.”

As a result, many stores have opted to keep their changing rooms closed. 

Where you can and can't try clothes on

Primark fitting rooms will remain temporarily closed but the company reminds customers they have 28 days to return an item if they change their mind. 

TKMaxx and Tesco have also kept changing rooms closed. 

New Look fitting rooms are once again open following a 'back to normal' pilot.

Marks & Spencer reopened with a contact-free bra fitting service, which customers must book, in 50 of its biggest stores, but said its intention was not to open all of its fitting rooms straight away.

This means whether or not changing rooms are open depends on where you are.

H&M, however, have reopened fitting rooms with strict measures in place to ensure they of covid-secure.

You can try things on in John Lewis and River Island too.