Reopening retail
Jeffrey Kahn, owner of the Unicorn in Woodstock, Vermont, talks about the store’s puzzles, which have been his number-one seller during quarantine. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Not every Vermont retail business reopened on Monday, the first day the state said they could, but those who did soon felt the love from eager shoppers ready to step out of the house and back into a store.
In Woodstock, Vermont, downtown merchants reported fairly steady foot traffic on this momentous day during the pandemic. They mentioned that most customers came in wearing masks and gladly followed precautions the stores required.
"People have been so appreciate we've been open," said Jeffrey Kahn, owner of the Unicorn, on Monday afternoon. "They've been very happy we have the station by the door with the antiseptic for people to sanitize their hands; no one's groused about that."
No more than four people were allowed into the store at a time, but that didn't limit the uplifting feeling of seeing others in person. Kahn greatly missed the interaction and conversation with customers in recent weeks, and on Monday, customers expressed that sentiment, too.
"That really made my heart warm," Kahn said.
Kim Smith, co-owner of 37 Central Clothiers in Woodstock, called it a busy Monday.
"We haven't stopped all day," she said. "People are so excited to be out."
Smith re-arranged her merchandise in the shop so people can easily browse while practicing social distancing of six feet.
"We've seen a lot of moms and their daughters who are supposed to be in college but they're not," she said. "It's nice to see some locals, too. They've been very supportive through all this."
The past two months have indeed been rough on merchants, but having people in the store was progress.
"We're not looking to catch up," Smith said. "We're looking to survive right now."
Some new additions to the local shopping experience might stick around. For example, over the past two months, Kahn has been using Facetime to remotely show products to customers with his iPhone, and plans to keep using that tool going forward. He said curbside pick-up is also continuing.
Some local shops, however, opted to remain closed to in-person shopping for safety reasons. The Yankee Bookshop's owners, Kari Meutsch and Kristian Preylowski, sent out an email to customers on Sunday saying they would not open their doors on Monday, but are taking steps toward reopening safely.
"We are getting our safety equipment in line, and reorganizing our workflow to be compliant with social distancing," they wrote. "There is a lot to figure out even in a small bookshop, but we are working on it."
Meanwhile, the bookshop is still taking online and phone orders and will continue to offer curbside pickup.
In nearby Hartford, it was the same look during a beautiful sunny Monday: some shops opened up, others were in preparation mode.
“It’s a mixed bag for sure,” said PJ Skehan, executive director of the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce. He noted there were a lot of regulations involved for the stores. “Overall, they’re eager to get going, but there’s a lot of concern over doing it right."
Some of that concern included having enough protective masks and gloves to operate, and others were working on signage. Skehan added that, for some of the larger retailers, opening with the required 25-percent limit on occupancy did not make financial sense.
"There's definitely excitement in the air, but there's also apprehension," he said. "It's a whole new ballgame."
Skehan encouraged customers to be patient, and he saw that in action during a recent trip to buy garden supplies.
"People were being respectful, which is great," he said.
If Monday's visits to local stores were any indication, there is a lot of hopeful energy in the air, maybe even momentum toward better days. The progress made thus far is encouraging. Vermont’s progress, however, took weeks to secure, and each safety precaution is a step in the right direction. Let's work together to carry the state and the nation forward.
— Gareth Henderson
