HUNDREDS of keen shoppers are expected to flock to malls across Glasgow today as centres open their doors for the first time since lockdown measures began.

Silverburn, intu Braehead and Princes Square are among the retail hotspots set to reopen this morning after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave them the go-ahead last week.

However, customers will have to embrace the new normal of social distancing and strict hygiene protocols if they want to return to the shops.

The team at intu Braehead have revealed only a limited number of people will be allowed into the centre at once, with a raft of other measures, including floor stickers indicating a one-way system and staff training already in place.

Peter Beagley, the Renfrewshire site’s centre director, said: “We can’t wait to see our wide variety of stores reopen to give people some much-needed retail therapy which will be a perfect antidote to the lengthy lockdown we’re, thankfully, now coming out of.

“Our team has been working hard to have the centre fully open in line with the government’s guidelines and we’re doing everything we can to make sure intu Braehead is a safe place to visit and to work.

“It will be a different experience than usual for everyone who visits us but this is to make sure everyone enjoys their time when they come shopping.”

“We know we cannot do this alone and everyone who visits us, whether to work or to shop, will play their part in keeping themselves and each other safe by following official guidelines and instructions and safety information provided by our team,” he added.

Visitors will also be required to wear face coverings in line with Scottish Government instructions.

It is also expected malls will provide frontline staff, such as security guards and customer service agents, with personal protective equipment (PPE) including face masks and gloves.

Enhanced hygiene regimes introduced at the start of the coronavirus outbreak will continue with even more deep cleaning of key areas and touch-points, such as escalators, tills and toilets.

David Pierotti, general manager at Silverburn, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming customers back to Silverburn.

“We’ve been working hard behind the scenes for the past few months to get everything ready and we’ve introduced a variety of measures to keep everyone safe.”