May I kick off this first Weekly Update of the year by wishing all our readers a happy new year. Although I realise with the week of news we've had, it's quite an effort at the moment to maintain the happy!

With the strict lockdown imposed on Tuesday, the country finds itself essentially back to where we were in March and April last year. This also means dealers are back to checking government guidelines and making decisions about what form the opening of their business can take.

Speaking to Keith Christian, director of BAGMA this week, the problem facing dealers, just like first time around, has been the lack of clarity around definitions of businesses required to close. Once again thankfully, at least agricultural machinery dealers know where they stand - they are unquestionably essential retailers. The vagueness in the definitions again, is unfortunately for dealers of grasscare machinery - both domestic and commercial.

Last time, as we all remember, it was the term "hardware store" on the government exempt from closure list which dealers in our sector felt they were entitled to class themselves under. Well most unhelpfully this time around, that phrase has been left off the official list.

For our readers, on the government's list of business which can open it says "garden centres" can open and "businesses providing repair services may also stay open, where they primarily offer repair services". There is nothing more specific to machinery dealers than that.

Keith Christian told Service Dealer, "BAGMA are taking the view that machinery dealers can be open as they offer a necessary service as has been the case previously. We advise that they should have restricted access to showrooms, operating safely under Covid restrictions for both their staff and customers. They should use an appointment system for customers and operate Covid-safe collection and drop-off points. The main need will be for service and repair which is covered. Operating a trade counter seems to be OK but restrictions may be the case on consumer business. It's very difficult to determine where the dividing line is.

"We also recommend that the business provide staff who have to travel for work, to and from and for deliveries and collections, a letter on company headed paper signed by the owner or a director explaining that they are allowed to do what they are doing."

In the meantime, BAGMA and the AEA are pursuing the government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for increased clarity for dealers in our sectors.

Getting on with business

All the while, resilient and adaptable dealers are getting on running their businesses as best they can. I've seen many examples on social media this week of dealerships letting their customers know just how they are trading. It appears that many showrooms are essentially closed to the public, whilst workshops are busy servicing machinery - all the while supported by online offerings.

As dealers told us throughout the course of 2020, keeping these channels of communication and information open between themselves and their customers is vital to continue to nurture that relationship. And it's equally as vital that dealers keep themselves informed over the coming weeks and months. Keep checking the official government websites; BAGMA's Coronavirus Hub is regularly updated with helpful information; and we'll of course always keep you informed of all the relevant news and developments we hear.

Also please feel free to let us at Service Dealer know about anything that is going on in your business that you'd feel we should be informed about - and please always share your thoughts and opinions with our community of dealer readers in the comment sections below our stories.

It has been an interesting exercise for me this week in fact, to discover which of the stories we ran throughout last year interested our readers the most. I must admit, I had assumed there would be a few stories in the top ten, more directly related to the consequences of the pandemic.  However, the more common thread between the stories which you clicked on the most in 2020 was way more traditional than that. It was that perennial dealer / supplier relationship which generated the most attention.

No spoilers, but you can see here how there were a couple of ongoing news stories, and indeed a couple of companies, who piqued the interest of our readers the most during 2020. And one of those stories is still ongoing today!

Looking ahead

At the moment, I must admit I'm finding it difficult to envisage a time beyond this long, cold lockdown. I know we will get out of it, but it all just feels a long way off right now. And as Boris reminded us this week, it won't end with a bang, it'll be a gradual unwrapping.

How will that gradual unwrapping look for our sector? Do you think we will get back to trade shows and open days this year for example?

BIGGA today have announced plans for an outdoor Festival Of Turf to take place in June. The show is intended to appeal not just to their golf greenkeeper members but to the wider turfcare community as a whole.

An exciting prospect. An outdoor event in the summer, with colleagues from the across the industry coming together, sounds like quite the tonic and one that I wish BIGGA all the best for.

I do however, wish I felt more confident that it will be able to take place as planned. For it to happen one feels like there needs to be a profound sea-change take place in society between now and then.

If a trade-journo like me, who'll turn up to the opening of a envelope and who merely has to write the date in my dairy is conflicted that it will happen, what will be the feeling amongst trade exhibitors who will be required to commit significant sums of money and members of staff to the project? Will they be willing to take the gamble that by June we'll be allowed to mix relatively freely again? Also importantly, will they believe there will be an appetite amongst punters to turn up?

Like I say, I truly hope it can be successful and we'll get to meet up come June. Fingers crossed!