From flower shops to comic book stores, some ‘non-essential’ businesses stay open during coronavirus scare

Linda Diener, the owner of the Hummelstown flower shop said she had to stay open.

“I’m a single business owner and this my only money I make,” she said.

Almost all of her business is delivery with very little foot traffic and a lot of the business is over the internet from national companies.

“We just leave the flowers at the door,” she said.

Diener says that her store is taking precautions. They spray down everything and they have glove and hand sanitizers.

On Monday Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf “strongly urged” non-essential businesses across the state to close for 14 days, starting Tuesday, to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Nonessential industries include:

  • entertainment
  • hospitality and recreation facilities
  • community and recreation centers
  • gyms
  • yoga
  • barre and spin facilities
  • hair salons and barber shops
  • nail salons and spas
  • casinos
  • concert venues
  • theaters
  • sporting event venues
  • golf courses
  • retail facilities, including shopping malls except for pharmacy or other health care facilities within retail operations

But on Tuesday, many businesses were open including large retailers like Best Buy, Big Lots, Gabe’s, Homegoods, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sprint, the UPS store, Xfinity, Boost Mobile, Mattress Firm, Dollar Tree, Bob’s Discount Furniture, AT&T and Ross Dress for Less as well as small businesses.

Jim Martin, the owner of The Garden Path and Susquehanna Township also chose to stay open.

“I’m a small business owner,” he said “We need our funds day by day.”

Martin said that his store doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic. He only had a few customers in the store all day long. Most of his business is by delivery. He said that they’re keeping their distance.

Martin said that a lot of the flowers at his shop are from foreign countries and right now he is able to get flowers daily from places like Chile and Holland but he expects he will be unable to get to get flowers from Holland soon due to travel restrictions.

“We’ve so far have been able to get fresh flowers,” he said.

And he hopes that will continue to be the case. Although he says some items for gift baskets have been hard to find.

Martin and Diener both said that they know of multiple flowers shops that are staying open.

On Monday, Gov. Tom Wolf also ordered that all restaurants and bars close their dine-in facilities to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Businesses that offer carry-out, delivery, and drive-through food and beverage service may continue to offer delivery services.

And one retailer, although not a restaurant is using those guidelines. For the Comix Connection on the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township, the comic shop is taking a unique approach. It closed its shop but you can call in your order and pay ahead of time and pick up your order at the store from your car.

“Shop this week’s new comics from a safe distance!” the store’s Facebook page said. “Then call in an order, pay by phone, and pick them up at your convenience without ever leaving your vehicle! We’re starting curbside pick-ups now, and will be offering them every day this week from 12 - 6. Please stay in your car and DO NOT line-up at the door; we want to minimize contact, not crowd you all together! Thanks!”

Nicole Wagman, an employee at the Comix Connection said the service is basically like a carryout service, but in this case the carryout service is for comics.

“ [Our] doors are locked,” Nicole Wagman, an employee at the Comix Connection said. “No customers [are] coming in -- but you can still get comics.”

The store was offering this service from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday but Wagman says everything is day to day so customers should call ahead.

The store only has an employee or two working at a time. Wagman says that comics are released weekly especially on Wednesday so with the takeout option the business is trying their best way to balance things out.

At video game retailer, Gamestop on Union Deposit Road in Susquehanna Township, a note on the door said that only five people could be in the store at a time to purchase products. The note asked if people were “just looking” then they should go to the company’s website. Officials at the corporate office couldn’t be reached for comment.

Several cell phone stores were open in Susquehanna Township and Lower Paxton Township including AT&T, which says it is asking its employees to take on preventative measures.

“We’re asking our employees in customer-facing roles or those that require onsite presence to take appropriate preventative measures – whether they are in our stores, call centers, our customers’ homes or businesses. This includes stocking up on hand sanitizer and disinfecting spray and wipes, increased cleaning and sanitizing for all company-operated stores with an added focus on locations in affected areas. We’re also encouraging employees who may not feel well to avoid coming to work or interacting with customers.”

The UPS Store in Susquehanna Township was also open on Tuesday. The company said that its franchise owners have been encouraged to practice social distancing, follow appropriate hygiene protocols, perform regular disinfecting/sanitizing within the store, especially for frequently touched surfaces like doors, handles, counters, computers, etc.

Discount retailer, Gabe’s in Susquehanna Township was also opened on Tuesday. The retailer said it is cleaning the store daily and providing sanitary wipes for use on carts and stations.

Capitol City Buy - Sell - Pawn, a pawn shop in Susquehanna Township was also opened on Tuesday. A store employee said that the store was busy on Tuesday but they do have a five customer limit. The company’s Facebook page said that it is “doubling and tripling our cleaning efforts.”

Diener says that the small business owners will get hurt the most. She says that if her business closes she can help her employees get unemployment but, she says its hard for small business owners to close because they don’t have that option but that might be different if the government offers relief to small businesses.

But in the meantime Diener says people that can’t go outside or are in nursing homes are happy to get their flowers.

“They are so happy to get these flowers,” she said.

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