Thousands of businesses across the country have re-opened as more COVID-19 restrictions are eased.
Retail stores can re-open, but opening times are being staggered to relieve pressure on public transport.
People are also being encouraged to shop locally, shop safely and support businesses in their community.
It has been a tough few months for the sector and more tough months are ahead.
Large queues have been forming outside shops like IKEA and Zara in Dublin.
While in Naas, Co Kildare retailers have also opened their doors for the first time in months.
Natalie O’Reilly is manager of women’s clothes shop Lips & Ps.
She explained their plan of action for customers.
"We've only one fitting room open - we want people to be able to try on, but maybe the limit the number of items that they try.
"Everything then that's tried on will be steamed and quarantined for 24 hours."
"Ideally, it'll be quarantined for 24 hours - if somebody's willing to try it on, obviously we'll tell them that it's been tried on and if they want to take it upon themselves to try on then that's fine.
"Otherwise it will be just trial and error I suppose and just to see how long continues for".
"It is uncertain and hopefully it will work out; it's difficult to say how it's going to go, we just have to wait and see.
People queueing outside an IKEA shop in Dublin as the next phase of Ireland's COVID-19 lockdown exit begins. Picture by: Niall Carson/PA Wire/PA Images"And I've no doubt that people will be considerate of measures that are in place, considerate of the fact that we can only have two people in the shop at any time.
"We don't want to discourage people to browse - but we'll be handling the clothes.
"We'll get around with the customer and we'll handle as much as possible, just to avoid lots of touch points in the shop.
Kate Hayes, manager of book shop Barker and Jones, said: "We're feeling delighted to be back, excited that we can finally get the doors open again.
"Obviously it's going to be a different shopping experience than it was before, so we're a bit apprehensive about how that will work.
"we've got lots of one way systems in place around the shop to ensure that people can stay their distance from each other.
"We will have to limit the amount of customers that come into the shop at one time obviously as well, to ensure that we can make sure social distancing rules are kept to".
"We will ask customers to keep browsing to a minimum - to obviously browse the shelves, but keep the hands away until it's something that they feel they really want".
Richie Whelan, from Richie Whelan’s men shop, said: "It's been tough, we've been trying to work around how we can figure out what's the best way to open back up.
"We've obviously lost a lot of business, we've been closed for 11 weeks - so it's strange times coming back in today".
"It's hard to know what way it's going to go, hopefully thew goodwill of the local people has got us to here - so hopefully that's going to help us throughout the coming weeks and months.
"Local businesses are what helps the local community, so hopefully it'll bring it all back into the town again".
Reporting by: Stephanie Rohan
