THE Oracle in Reading will be reopening non-essential shops on Monday, April 12, and it has announced the return of popular spring and summer events.

The Oracle will open at 9.30am next Monday with stores reopening including Next Beauty & Home and Apple, Supercuts and Lush.

New brands joining The Oracle line-up include Wingstop expected to open later this month.

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The Oracle also brings a line-up of experiences for all to enjoy this spring and summer including The Beach Bar on the Riverside, Wimbledon screenings and Summertime Live.

A number of the destination’s restaurants and cafes will be offering outdoor dining including Wagamama, Comptoir, The Real Greek and Las Iguanas, with a selection of restaurants continuing to offer takeaway.

The cinema remains closed at present, in line with guidance.

As opening hours may vary for individual stores and restaurants, customers are being encouraged to check The Oracle website and social media channels for regular and up-to-date information.

The centre’s Crowd Checker app – available via the website www.theoracle.com - provides live updates on footfall in real-time, so shoppers can plan their visit outside of peak times 12pm – 2pm.

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Safety remains The Oracle’s number one priority, and the measures introduced at the destination last year remain in place. These include:

• One-way system to help customers safely navigate the centre

• Face coverings are mandatory throughout the centre, unless you are exempt

• Clear signage throughout the destination reminding consumers of the need to follow social distancing guidance, and to avoid shopping in large groups

• Enhanced cleaning processes, with a clear focus on key customer touch points

• Fixed hand sanitiser stations throughout the destination

• Customers are encouraged to use contactless payment with retailers for transactions

Andy Briggs, General Manager at The Oracle, said: “It is great to be able to welcome customers back with a wider offer and I know our brands are looking forward to re-opening their doors next week.

"Safety remains a priority and the measures we put in place last year will continue, including mandatory face coverings, hand sanitiser stations and enhanced cleaning.

“We'd like to say thanks to everyone for supporting us. To all those who have kept essential stores and our food takeaway services open, along with The Oracle team and of course our customers.

"It’s great to see the arrival of some exciting new brands to the mix and we hope that next month, following the government roadmap, our restaurants and leisure facilities will be able to reopen fully too.”

As part of reopening The Oracle has teamed up with #WeSupportDeafAwareness initiative which has been launched due to the significant difficulties the deaf and hard of hearing have experienced during lockdown and the inability to lip read due to the barrier of mask wearing.

The centre has asked all stores to pledge their support and staff will be undergoing extensive training and be provided with promotional material for in stores to show support.