Local Retailers Take Precautions To Reopen

As local retailers prepare to re-open Wednesday, customer and employee safety is top priority.

Paige Bryant, Sales Consultant for Office Mart, said they have followed suit with register practices in place at other businesses.

“We have in place today a Plexiglas item to protect the customers and ourselves during the process of checking out, similar to a sneeze guard,” Bryant said, “The delivery guys are wearing gloves, we’re wearing gloves and masks.”

Additionally, sanitizing wipes are being used. “After each customer, we do a cleanup,” Bryant said.

Hand sanitizer is also available for customers and employees.

When they re-open on Wednesday, Bryant said they will limit customers to four in the store at one time to ensure social distancing, and they will continue to offer curbside service and delivery.

Bryant said Office Mart, as an essential business, has been fortunate during the pandemic thus far.

“We’ve been open. We work with essential businesses, so we’re providing them with the tools they need to continue working from home if they’re doing so, or if they’re in the office we’re providing that as well,” Bryant said.

Other local retailers have been more dramatically impacted during this closure. Cigi England, owner of Cigi’s Boutique, like many other small businesses, applied for aid. The money simply ran out, and the need to begin operating is important.

“I understand that this is a real thing that we’re going through, but we’re doing a lot of damage to our economy,” England said, “So I think it’s important for us to open back up but be smart and be safe about it.”

Cigi’s Boutique will take precautionary measures like limiting customers to five or less, even moving some racks of merchandise outside to accommodate more customers while maintaining social distance. “I want to keep myself healthy, but I also want to do that for my customers,” England said.

In addition to limiting the number of shoppers, England said she will be wearing a mask and gloves and sanitizing after each customer. When Cigi’s reopens Wednesday, cloth face masks and clip on sanitizers will be available for purchase, in addition to their boutique clothing and accessories.