The rules of shopping have changed, but that hasn’t put off the swarms of shoppers lining England’s high streets as non-essential shops welcomed back customers for the first time in 12 weeks.

Measures implemented around London’s West End included hand sanitiser dispensers on streets, social distancing ambassadors and the doubling of the pavement on Regent Street.

Many of those waiting to enter stores were mindful of safety measures and were wearing protective masks – with one woman even wearing a full-length hooded protective suit.

She used a brown paper Primark bag to cover her face as she left the store, while another woman, who had three bags of new purchases, said: “It’s good to be back – it seems like forever since I’ve been in a clothes shop.”

A doorman in a full face visor helped to welcome back customers to the Fenwick store in Northumberland Street, Newcastle.

Asked if she was pleased to see stores reopening, 39-year-old estate agent Kasia Ruta replied: “Very much so, I’m ready to move on. I’m quite laid back about it all.”

A shopper in Manchester city centre added: “This is crazy, queuing just for clothes. But it is nice to see more people out and about and things getting back to normal.”

Footfall on high streets, retail parks and shopping centres in England was up 41.7% compared with last week, according to a survey by retail experts Springboard this morning.

However, some were put-off by the new restricted shopping experience.

Kristina Taylor, who works in finance, had joined a line of customers outside the Apple store in London’s Regent Street.

Asked if she was pleased about shops reopening, she said: “Yes and no. I will pop by Primark to see the queue. But not keen on all of this queuing, it makes me think twice about whether I need something from that shop.”

Speaking to Sky News’ Paul Kelso outside of Selfridges in London, Jace Tyrrell, the chief executive of New West End Co, said: “The West End is opening after three months and customers are easing their way into it.”

Reflecting on the day so far, he said: “There’s a lovely pace about it. No mass crowds… It’s going to feel very different around the West End for quite some time.”

Asked if some of the fun of shopping will disappear, Mr Tyrrell disagreed, saying: “There is a bit of fun! We’re about to see some DJs outside Selfridges. It is still the art of experience, retail.

“Just browse with your eyes, not your hands, is the message at the moment.”

Social distancing measures were in force at Waterstones in London’s Piccadilly – including a “quarantine trolley” for books people browse but choose not to buy.

JD Sports was among the retail chains reopening – but with reduced numbers of shoppers inside.

Peter Cowgill, executive chairman of JD Sports, told Sky News’ Ian King the cost of reopening in a way that safeguards against coronavirus has been “into the millions”.

But as many towns and city centres were bustling again with shoppers, for many non-big brand retailers across the country, restarting their small businesses was not an option.

Paula Chappell said she would not be reopening her bridal boutique Ava Rose Hamilton in Silsden, West Yorksire, until 4 July.

She told Sky’s Kay Burley@Breakfast: “We have a really personal service. We fit brides so we are working really close… pinning and fitting.”

The businesswoman said the “72-hour quarantine for bridal gowns”, as well as the two-metre rule, would make it “impossible to work within the government guidelines”.

London’s entire West End shopping and theatre district is expected to see just 10% to 15% of its normal customers this week.

This drop is partially rooted in the absence of tourists, who currently have to observe a 14-day quarantine if coming into Britain.

Linda Pilkington, who owns a high-end perfume boutique off London’s Bond Street, believes some shoppers won’t come because the social element has been removed.

She said: “People like the social side of shopping. When you hit Bond Street and all the grand shops, it’s an exciting event. All those people coming to London for a show, making a weekend of it, that won’t be there.

“It’s just not going to be the same.”

It was also the first day that face coverings became mandatory on public transport, with staff at some stations handing out blue face masks to commuters, who face a fine if they fail to comply with the new rules.

Sky’s Becky Johnson, at Birmingham New Street station, said: “I would say maybe 95% of people, maybe more than that, are wearing them.

“Anybody not covering their faces are quickly being stopped by station staff and are being told they do need to cover up before they get on any of the trains.

“Some of the bus drivers here in Birmingham have been refusing people entry to buses if they haven’t got their face covered.”

The sunny weather, coupled with the lifting of restrictions, saw queues of families with young children – some without face coverings – form outside zoos across the country.

Zoos, together with safari parks, were also given the green light to reopen to visitors.

Jamie Turner, site manager for ZSL London Zoo, said just under 2,000 tickets had been sold for the day and that the return of so many customers was “beautiful to see”.

Edward Perry, managing director of Knowsley Safari in Merseyside, said while he was “fully booked for the next two-and-a-half weeks” with some 35,000 visitors expected to flock to the venue, “inconsistencies and contradictions” from the government had left him “frustrated” during the lockdown.

“It was easier to get a Big Mac than it was to come and see our big cats,” he told Sky News.

Around 90% of secondary schools also unlocked their doors to students this morning, to give pre-exam pupils some face time with teachers.

Sky’s Ashna Hurynag spoke to students at the mixed sixth form at Southend High School for Boys in Southend-on-Sea.

One pupil, called Luke, told her it was “really important” to be back in because “if we needed help from our teachers before then we’d have to email them and it could take a day to get a reply for them”.

“Now we can just ask them a question straight off, and your studies are a lot more efficient that way,” he said.

Another student, Leah, said coming back to school was helping her to “stay motivated”.

“You have the same atmosphere as before lockdown because we were preparing for our AS-levels and we have got to keep that up obviously for next year and our uni applications,” she said.

The lockdown relaxation comes as a survey suggested less than half of people were comfortable with “the new normal”.

However, Oliver Rowe, director of reputation research at YouGov, warned while Monday clearly marked a significant milestone “in returning the country to normality”, there is “a lot of work to be done yet to convince shoppers that it’s business as usual”.

Results of YouGov polling carried out earlier this month suggested just 40% of people were comfortable to go back into stores, and only 48% think they would be able to stay the required two metres away from other shoppers.

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