Retailers were greeted with smiles instead of masks for the first time in months yesterday after yet another ease of COVID-19 restrictions saw the closest return to in-store trading since Autumn.

What businesses owners such as Olive and Ted's Alexandra Tierney have begun to notice is a shift in the way shoppers value small, local businesses.

"I think people have more understanding now of the people behind the businesses," she said.

"We're really positive that will continue for the next couple of years."

Ms Tierney suggests COVID-19 has a lot to do with the considerable shift to in-store retail.

"People now know what it's like not to have shops like ours, or not to be able to visit," she said. "People are starting to appreciate and recognize that, and their thought processes have changed behind where they do their shopping."

New initiatives backing small businesses like Ms Tierney's have also gathered the community's support, resulting in the recirculation of cash throughout the region.

This includes the Wagga Business Chambers 'Shop Local' gifts cards which have earned $30,000 in sales since launching 6 weeks ago.

The chamber's business manager Serena Hardwick explained the economics behind the card mean that whatever is spent locally has double the impact.

"People really understand what impact that is going to have if you choose to support a local business instead of a large corporation," she said.

Ms Hardwick agrees the pandemic has highlighted the importance of supporting local business and customers response to this has been proactive.

"Even the mental fatigue that the restrictions have caused has definitely changed the atmosphere for businesses," she said.

"What we're seeing from business confidence surveys, and also banking data is that there is a lot of confidence and that people are investing in their businesses at the moment.

"Given that we've got cases, we're managing and businesses are thriving which I think that's a really good sign."

For many business owners, it's now about attracting customers into their stores and for some, location is proving the biggest problem.

Gateway Bookshop owner David Payne said although the 'happy band' of stores down South Town Walk off of Baylis Street are tight knit community, shoppers don't tend to brush pass their windows very often.

"We're a destination shop and that's probably why our location's not exactly perfect," he said.

He hopes to see more faces pop in and purchase a book over the next two weeks as online stores cut off deliveries before Christmas.

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