After 86 long days of coronavirus lockdown, get ready for the sales of the century

Tomorrow morning, hundreds of branches of high street shops across the country will be throwing open their doors for the first time since the lockdown began in March. At long last, we can start getting back to some kind of normality and wander once again around some of our favourite shops Fashion expert Eliza Scarborough says: ‘We’ve never had this before – there’s a whole season of clothing in each of the stores that they’ve got to shift. ‘We’ve got to expect to queue outside, one-way systems, limitations on what we can do within the stores, signs telling us don’t touch, clean your hands, and so on.’ Alison Grainger, head of clothing and home retail at M&S, says: ‘In store we’ve replicated measures we know have worked in our Foodhalls – from queuing on arrival to limit the number of customers to Perspex screens at till points. ‘We are taking a cautious and gradual approach to reopening,’ says Naomi Gillies, of John Lewis, which will see just two stores – Kingston and Poole – operating tomorrow. Here are my highlights of some of the best bargains on the high street that will see you safely through summer and beyond… Rather than buying dozens of items that will languish sadly in your wardrobe, I would recommend concentrating on building up a capsule wardrobe of just a few key pieces that can be worn anywhere The sundress Perfect for days out in the park, the cap sleeves on this lightweight summer dress are great for warm weather but also for women conscious about their upper arms.