It has been closed for four months and has no online shop. 

So it's little surprise that Primark fans have been desperate to see the store reopen.

And in Basingstoke eager shoppers have been queuing from 7.30am this morning ahead of its 9am reopening. 

At least 20 people have been patiently waiting for The Malls' branch to throw open its doors once again after being shut down in December, along with the rest of non-essential shops nationwide.

Two friends Erin, 21, and Elana, 18, have been waiting in the queue this morning. 

Elana, who works as a retail assistant, said: “It's exciting we are going back to something we used to not think twice about. I think the little things, like how the road map was set out, gave me more faith and were more promising this time around.”

Office worker Erin said she found the last three months ‘hard’ being stuck at home.

The pair are planning to go to many shops today to try to feel ‘more normal’.

 

Click here for live updates from down on the ground in Basingstoke as lockdown eases