Poundland has laid out plans to reopen 36 of its stores that have been closed throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The discount chain said it will resume trade in these shops on Monday in the first phase of its plans to reopen all stores that have been “hibernating” since the Government-mandated lockdown.

The retailer has kept most of its branches open for essential shopping but closed the doors to around one in nine stores in March.

• Ayr Central
• Basildon Eastgate
• Belfast Castlecourt
• Bootle
• Bradford Westfield
• Chatham Pentagon
• Colchester St Johns
• Cork Merchant Quay
• Dublin Mary Street
• Doncaster Wheatley retail park
• Eastleigh Swan shopping centre
• Enniskillen Erneside
• Gateshead Metro Centre
• Great Yarmouth Regent Road
• Harrogate
• Harrow St Anns Road
• Ipswich
• Kendal
• Kingston upon Thames
• Lakeside Thurrock
• Lowestoft Britten
• Maidstone Chequers shopping centre
• Milton Keynes Centre
• Mansfield Four Seasons
• Mullingar Fairgreen Centre
• Newport Gwent Kingsway
• Newry Buttercrane
• Newry Quays
• Northampton Gold Street
• Norwich Castle Mall
• Romford Brewery retail park
• Shrewsbury
• Southend Royals
• Sunderland High Street
• Waltham Abbey
• Wembley High Road

It said these stores were largely sites where it had another branch nearby or were in shopping centres that had difficulty remaining open.

Poundland will gradually reopen the doors to its remaining UK and Ireland stores over the coming weeks in a process it has dubbed Operation Sleeping Beauty.

It said robust health and safety measures will operate in these stores as they have done in Poundland shops that remained open through the lockdown.

These measures include floor markers, marshals at doors to limit customer numbers, screens at checkouts, the closure of some checkouts to make social distancing easier and “rigorous hygiene routines”.

Austin Cooke, Poundland’s retail director, said: “We’ve never been prouder of our role as a retailer at the heart of communities and high streets.

“While safety has to come first, we’re delighted to be able to begin reopening hibernating Poundland stores to fully serve those communities across the UK with the essentials they need.”

The Poundland stores that will reopen on Monday May 18 are:

Ayr CentralBasildon EastgateBelfast CastlecourtBootleBradford WestfieldChatham PentagonColchester St JohnsCork Merchant QuayDublin Mary StreetDoncaster Wheatley retail parkEastleigh Swan shopping centreEnniskillen ErnesideGateshead Metro CentreGreat Yarmouth Regent RoadHarrogateHarrow St Anns RoadIpswichKendalKingston upon ThamesLakeside ThurrockLowestoft BrittenMaidstone Chequers shopping centreMilton Keynes CentreMansfield Four SeasonsMullingar Fairgreen CentreNewport Gwent KingswayNewry ButtercraneNewry QuaysNorthampton Gold StreetNorwich Castle MallRomford Brewery retail parkShrewsburySouthend RoyalsSunderland High StreetWaltham AbbeyWembley High Road