Colchester: Will Wednesday’s reopening save the high street?
Watch a report from ITV Anglia's Victoria Lampard above
Businesses in Colchester are preparing to reopen after a month of lockdown.
From tomorrow, the whole of the East of England will be in Tier 2 meaning non-essential shops can once again welcome customers through the doors.
December is normally their busiest time of the year and they'll be hoping people will veer away from online shopping to support their local high streets.
Victoria Johnson, owner of Colchester home interiors store Dear Grace, said: "Whilst our footfall is higher in December, November is much higher volume, money...people buy their dining tables for their Christmas dinners.
"December is too late to do that really, so November is the worst possible month. We are in excess of £40,000 in one month down. "
At gift shop Bill and Bert's, they say this second lockdown has been an unlevel playing field, attacking the local town centres and high streets.
"All the supermarkets are selling toys, the garden centres are open and they are selling similar products to what we've got in Bill and Bert's," owner Bill Nettelfield said.
Despite feeling frustrated, Mr Nettelfield is excited for the shop to open on Wednesday.
"We're opening early, we're shutting late. So many people are knocking on the door while we're here getting ready."
There are real signs that in Colchester, they are doing all they can to entice shoppers back into the town centre in the crucial weeks leading up to Christmas.
There's an ice-skating rink, a pink castle, Santa's post office and an elf workshop - socially distanced experiences that people won't get if they only shop online.
Sam Good, Our Colchester BID said: "It's the most important time of the year for us to open and we're ready.
Everything is about safety - we're not jumping the gun, we're not just getting in as much footfall in as possible. It's all about safe footfall, enabling people to feel confident about using their town."
Lockdown may be ending but the fact Essex is in Tier 2 means you still can't meet up with friends inside a cafe, like Slice Art.
Lagi Paneli Slice Art Cafe said: "We certainly felt the effect when we moved into tier 2 before this lockdown and it certainly affected. People were just reluctant to come in.
"Now I think it's going to be just as difficult I think. I can't see things improving too much while we're in Tier 2."
However, at wool shop Nanna's Yarn Barn, which only opened at the start of the year, there is a sense of optimism as they prepare to welcome customers back.
"It's been scary times. For us to only just open and then have to go into lockdown like we did, but we've been so positive," owner Fiona Ellerker said
"We are going to make this Christmas, it's going to be a good one."
Retailers will be hoping customers abandon online shopping and instead take to the streets, giving them a much needed boost in sales after an extremely difficult year.