Warragul shops bustling on post-lockdown Thursday

People came out in force throughout Baw Baw Shire on post-lockdown Thursday last week.

The lockdown, other than for declared exempt reasons, restricted most people to their homes, kept children from school and caused many businesses to close for five days.

From early Thursday morning, car and foot traffic in Warragul and Drouin looked more like a Christmas rush.

Venues such as restaurants, hotels and clubs that were closed during the lockdown, other than if they decided to offer takeaway meals, were gearing for a “catch up” in clientele while there was solid trading in retail stores and cafes.

Susie Warencia, who has operated Suzy’s Fine Jewellery in Smith St, Warragul for 30 years, looked at both the “ups” and “downs” of the latest lockdown that forced her to close the shop for five days after last Friday week’s trading.

Saturday morning was the biggest loss, she said, expecting that the day before Valentine’s Day “would have been huge” if her business was able to open.

Men are last minute shoppers anyway and most work during the week and we are lucky, unlike many businesses, that we don’t deal in perishable goods, she said.

The jewellery shop had also closed for three-and-a-half weeks last year and at other times operated at reduced hours due to lockdowns and restrictions on movements.

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