The pandemic has been crippling for the high street. In early July, the Independent reported that John Lewis & Partners was anticipating store closures alongside a loss of jobs, and that Harrods also predicted cutting 700 workers from the store’s staff.

The enforced closures of all retail non-essential stores for three months over lockdown has damaged the high street, but even now when shoppers are able to wander about and look at items as before, customers are too afraid to come back into city centres and spend their money.

The answer? Going virtual – something that Selfridges is pioneering with its Elfridges virtual gifting and shopping services.

Speaking with Zuhal Sultani, one of the personal shoppers on the Elfridges team, she explains that this service has been an essential reaction to the pandemic. “I’ve been doing virtual shopping appointments for around six weeks and so far, the reaction has been brilliant. Some of our customers are still scared to come into store or, even if they would like to have a shop around, they can’t face travelling in on public transport like the Tube.

“This service means that not only do they get personal help and advice from a shopping assistant, in the same way you could access someone working on the shop floor, but we can tell them about new launches, check out sizes for them and show them the items up close on camera which actually makes a huge difference.”

Virtual shopping: is this the future away from the high street post-pandemic?