How Small Retailers Are Coping With The Pandemic

Jennifer Rockwell was working in her secondhand apparel shop in downtown Portland, Maine, last week, scrambling to figure out how she could sell online after closing down just days before. The store, Material Objects, is all set for the spring fashion season and normally bustling with shoppers who come in frequently to discover her most recent finds. On Friday, it was empty save for her two huskies. “I think we were naively thinking we were going to continue with business as usual as recently as last Friday,” she told Retail Dive in an interview. “We were letting people know that we were being diligent about wiping surfaces, but by the time Sunday came around, at least one of my employees said they were uncomfortable being around the public. It was almost easier to make the decision to close than to try to manage it on a day-to-day basis.” Read more at Retail Dive.