Retailers welcome rental, wage relief, as Heightened Alert 'almost like a circuit breaker'

RETAILERS who have suffered a drop in sales by as much as 80 per cent amid the current heightened restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 have welcomed the government's offer of rental relief and increased wage support.

Kate Low, founder of lingerie retailer Perk by Kate, for instance, said that the state of Heightened Alert (HA) has felt almost like a circuit breaker - but without the assurance of relief schemes - until Friday's offer of an S$800 million support package that includes enhanced wage subsidies under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) and rental relief for businesses and workers.

Ms Low said: "This rental relief honestly came as a pleasant surprise to us."