CITY REOPENS: Melburnians flocked to restaurants, bars and shops at midnight

Restaurants, bars and stores across the city have wasted no time in reopening.

Many businesses flung open their doors for the first time in more than 100 days at the stroke of midnight, as the lockdown rules on retail and hospitality eased.

At Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane, patrons started lining up at about 11.45pm.

Meanwhile, shoppers formed lines outside five Kmart stores across the city which opened at midnight.

“In most of those stores we had about 500 people through in the first half hour or so, and between midnight and 6am, about 10,000 in total,” Kmart Group managing director Ian Bailey told Neil Mitchell.

All of Kmart’s Melbourne store which do not operate 24 hours a day will open from 7am to midnight until Christmas.

Mr Bailey said the retailer wants to ensure there’s “lots of quiet times” for shoppers.

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Spotlight in Box Hill also quickly reached capacity and as customers shopped through the night.

This morning, queues are already building outside Nike in the CBD.

Beauty services will also reopen today, with capacity limits.