Fashion and gifts boutique Ruby Maine was among a number of shops in the city's centre to pull up the shutters in the past week after NSW started easing restrictions.

But as stores make a cautious comeback in keeping with social distancing practices, they and Dubbo's peak body for business forecast recovery is still months away.

A wave of more than 20 stores across the city opted to close in late March-early April as the number of COVID-19 cases across the state rose sharply.

Mother-daughter duo Rhonda Cooper and Samantha Portelli closed their Ruby Maine shopfront in Bultje Street for five and a half weeks.

Despite devoting themselves to growing their online store in the interim, Ms Cooper said the period had seen a "massive loss" to business income.

They've reopened for reduced hours and their store has hand sanitiser and signs to remind people of social distancing, among other precautionary measures, they report.

Ms Cooper said they would take it "week at a time" and they did not want to see an escalation of COVID-19 cases.

"We, like everybody else, all have family and friends and our lovely customers we want to take care of, so you just have to be careful how you manage your business," she said.

Despite expecting they would be "a while getting back on our feet", Ms Cooper said it would happen.

"We're pretty positive about what's happened over the past six weeks, it's been, sometimes you feel a little bit disheartened, but we say soldier on and soldier up and keep going," she said.

"A lot of local support" in recent weeks was encouraging Mrs Portelli, as was the popularity of their Mother's Day gift packs and the return of enthusiastic customers through the doors in the past week.

"I would hope by the spring, summer, people will be getting confidence back with moving and getting out and about, and I hope when that nice weather comes out again that we have lots of support from the local community and there will be lots of people out in the community who just want to spend and support," she said.

Kings Hall Jewellers temporarily closed its doors at the end of March and while its workshop continued to operate, the "retail side of things was dead in the water, essentially", owner Stuart Gould said.

The business will reopen on Saturday, but Mr Gould is not expecting a turnaround until "before Christmas".

"I think the rest of this year will still be slow," he said.

"You've still got the tourism industry struggling with no overseas travel, especially Dubbo having a decent tourist base with the zoo, and the [Old Dubbo] Gaol...

"So I think until the holiday season, there's a bit of sniff for that, then I think people will be somewhat hesitant to return full tilt again, to get back out and about."

Dubbo Chamber of Commerce president Matt Wright said businesses were starting to reopen, but were being cautious.

"They're protective of themselves and their customers and also their staff with the way they're doing things," he said.

"Only allowing certain numbers of customers in at once, and asking customers to stand out the front and wait if their shop is already too full."

He reports feedback was sales had taken "a huge hit", but was now hopeful of seeing a "gradual increase in traffic".

He noted restrictions on restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs, operating which had led to job losses, remained in place.

"Until we see those people back into work and businesses operating toward some sort of normality, I don't think we'll see a return to what we had previously for a long while," he said.