The end of lockdown drew shoppers on to Northumberland Street as people queued for their first visit to a non-essential shop in weeks.
With the North East now officially in Tier 3 of the government's new coronavirus regulations, all shops are now allowed to reopen in time for the Christmas rush.
When Newcastle's shops reopened in June for the first time since March, huge queues formed as people rushed to pick up everything they'd missed out on during the months of closure.
Whether because of the colder winter mornings or the shorter length of the lockdown, the queues on Wednesday morning weren't quite so dramatic.
Nonetheless, some diehard shoppers had arrived early, with many keen to pick up bargains or get their Christmas shopping started as soon as possible.
The largest queue formed outside Primark, on Northumberland Street, with socially-distanced groups snaking round the corner on to Northumberland Road.
At the front of the line, people said they'd been queuing since around 7am, and were allowed in a little before the 8am opening time to browse before the tills opened.
Some simply wanted to see what they could pick up, while others had very specific purchases in mind.
Eagerly waiting near the front of the line, Christine Ramsen said: "I'm here for matching Christmas pyjamas for the family. I wanted to make sure they've got the stock and the sizes I need.
"I've been looking online but a lot of places have sold out, and since Primark don't sell online they should still have the stock."
Also waiting since around 7am, 36-year-old Daniel Nixon confessed he was surprised at how busy it was - he'd stopped by for some work clothes before his shift, and had thought the shop opened earlier. "I thought it would be a bit dead at this time," he said.
At the very front of the queue, one woman said she was here for Christmas presents.
"It's good to get it over with early, I just want to get through them," she said.
Small lines appeared outside other shops in the centre.
With now-collapsed Debenhams offering dramatically cut prices in its stock clearance sale, the department store also drew in crowds.
Around 50 people queued inside Eldon Square before the 9am opening, while more stood outside on Newgate Street. While those at the very front of the queue had been there since 8.20am, those further back said they'd waited little more then 10 or 15 minutes before the doors opened and the line quickly cleared.
One 29-year-old woman, who didn't give her name, admitted she'd rather shop online but couldn't pass up the opportunity of in-store bargains, and was looking out for handbags in particular.
She said: "The social distancing has been good this morning, I’m hoping the bargains will be worth it - I wouldn’t be coming back into shops if I didn’t have to, if you could get the same prices online.”
Also waiting at Debenhams, shopper Margaret Bebb was less reticent. She said: ”It’s ridiculous, we shouldn’t be in Tier 3 at all. We should be following Sweden: protecting the vulnerable but opening the economy.
"I’m worried about local businesses, I could buy from Amazon but I want to support them. People talk about protecting the NHS, but they forget it's the economy that pays for the NHS.”
Small lines formed at some other shops before their opening times, including JD Sports, where some exclusive deals were being offered inside, and those in the queue said they were looking to buy trainers.
But Primark was by far the most popular shop. As she strolled into the Northumberland Street branch at around 8.30am, one woman cheerfully announced to the manager: "This is the second Primark I've been in today - I've just come from the Metrocentre".
Waving customers in with a smile, one employee explained he and his colleagues had been expecting the first-day rush. He said: "We always knew it was going to be a little bit busier than usual, but it's great to see everybody back - we're Primark, we're always excited to be back."
