Curbside Shopping Won’t Save Small Retailers

Curbside service opened Monday for many Minnesota retailers that had been forced by state order to close in March due to Covid-19, but store owners aren’t celebrating. In an informal survey of local apparel, gift and home retailers that fall into the “non-essential” category, the overarching sentiment among owners was that small businesses are being held to a higher standard than big box stores. “Most of us never have a distancing problem,” says Dana Swindler, CEO of MartinPatrick 3, the North Loop lifestyle store. “The average 1,110 square foot boutique might have two or three people in at a time. Meanwhile, the parking lot at Menards is packed and people who work at grocery stores don’t even have to wear masks and gloves. Everyone says they’re worried about us small guys. Meanwhile, we’re all dying we don’t have tons of capital like the big guys do.” Read more at Twin Cities Business.