When the British government told people they no longer had to stay home, it needed a convincing pitch to get everyone back outside and, crucially, spending money.
On the first day, Aug. 3, food sales rose 100 percent compared with the previous Monday, according to CGA, a consultancy that tracks data on eating and drinking out in Britain. The government’s offer, aided by some pleasant weather this August, has encouraged customers to return to restaurants, especially the outdoor seating offered by many establishments. If diners retreat back to their homes once it’s too cold to dine outdoors, however, or unemployment rises as the furlough program ends in October, what then?
On several streets there wasn’t a single empty table — and they were as noisy as on any pre-pandemic summer evening. It almost disguised the fact that central London is nearly devoid of office workers and tourists, with most theaters and other attractions still shut. “There are two psychological forces at play,” said Ivo Vlaev, a professor of behavioral science at Warwick Business School, who has been advising the government and National Health Service on its communication in response to the pandemic.