Today, Best & Less has reopened its doors 18 months after being ravaged by the flood. The event marks another milestone in the city's recovery journey and stands as another flag of hope for businesses and residents alike.

Plenty of excited shoppers were waiting to celebrate the opening this morning, and customers streamed through the doors at 9am. Fifty people entered the store in the first five minutes, rewarded for their eagerness with a $10 voucher with a handwritten thank-you on the back.

Kym, a local, said, "I went in my lunch break today! Bought my 9-year-old a dress and partner some Father's Day' dad joke' shirts!"

"It's so good to have Best & Less back! It has reasonably priced clothes and such gorgeous baby clothes. Lismore doesn't have much to choose from in the way of kid's clothes, so it is a great addition!"

The beaming Regional manager, Mary-Louise Phillips, greeted people personally at the door. When the Lismore app spoke with her, she said, "It's been eighteen months in the making, and we're just so excited; my heart is full for the team this morning and the locals."

The road to recovery was arduous, but the store was able to retain permanent staff and some casuals, as they transferred to the Ballina store while renovations were underway. Several new staff have also been employed.

Store Manager Caitlin Cheffins has been working in the Ballina store for the last eighteen months and has been involved in setting up the new Lismore store as well.

She said, "I'm just so excited to be back. It's been a long, very emotional road. The support from Lismore has been amazing. The support from Best & Less itself has been awesome as well. So we're back bigger and better than ever!"

This is Mary-Louise and Caitlin's second rebuild together, as both were involved in the renovations following the 2017 flood.

At 1pm today, the store was still full of shoppers.

The Lismore app spoke with other businesses on Keen Street to enquire how they feel about Best & Less opening.

Debbie, who works at Shoppe One, said, "We've always said that once Best & Less opens, it would bring more people back downtown to see what's around. And this morning, we've had a few more people in than we were expecting. So it's been good!"

Felicity Hyde from Scoops and Candy said, "It's positive that Best & Less has reopened, it shows that there's great support from big business in Lismore, and it shows that we are moving forward in town, so it's very positive."

As other local businesses continue to return, and new ones appear in the CBD, it is important to keep supporting local businesses as the rebuild progresses.