NYC businesses buck reopening rules, allow in-store shopping, just to survive
Only curbside pcik-up is permitted until Phase 2 reopenings
Small business owners in New York City, who jumped ahead on what’s supposed to be a slow and methodical emergence from the coronavirus lockdown, are bucking reopening rules, just to survive.
Stores in parts of the city have already started to allow customers inside to shop, even though the phased reopening that began Monday only allows retailers to sell merchandise via curbside pickup for now.
Multani Singh, owner of J&M sneakers, talks about keeping his business alive during nearly three months of shutdown, Monday, June 8, 2020, in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, in New York. In a city famous for its lack of patience, some b …
Mutali Sing, owner of J&M Sneaker, stood at his shop’s door and encouraged customers to call ahead for curbside pickup, but said he’s had trouble enforcing the policy.
“Once they see you are open, they think you are open like normal, like you can walk in and do the browsing,” he said.
He’s hardly in a position to turn them away -- not with his landlord demanding he continue paying his $8,000 monthly rent.
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Customers are not supposed to be permitted indoors at most retailers until phase two of reopening, which could come as early as June 22, although Mayor Bill de Blasio has said it could be delayed until July.
The cautious return to business is intended to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus, which has killed at least 22,000 people in the city. While the number of new infections has dropped dramatically, it has not stopped entirely. Through the end of last week, hundreds of people were continuing to test positive each day.
Manager Angel Ramos arranges shoes on a display in Top shoes, Monday, June 8, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, after retail stores were allowed to reopen to customers on the first day marking Phase 1 reopening for New York City. In a city f …
As the pressure on hospitals has eased, the financial pressure on merchants has mounted.
Eddie Zahoor, owner of Cap & Clothing Sports Inc., is letting a maximum of two customers into his small sports apparel shop, in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park section. He’s giving away masks to customers if they don’t have them and has a bottle of hand sanitizer next to the front door.
Zahoor had hoped for a rush of shoppers when he opened Monday for the first time since March 20 but said business has been slow. He applied for three government grants but was denied for all of them — something that stays top of mind for him as he considers how to follow government guidelines for reopening.
He hasn’t paid rent in three months and is trying to pay back those bills in installments.
“My landlord keeps pushing me,” he said. “I told him, ‘Just wait.’”
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Opening for many is an act of desperation.
In this Tuesday, June 9, 2020, photo, Jay Han, whose wife owns Honey Fashion, pauses among mannequins in the store's basement, in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, in New York. Han was reflecting on the family's financial burdens after their …
Jay Han at Honey Fashion is also feeling intense pressure in the city famous for its lack of patience. He’s managing the shop owned by his wife, Grace Kim, while she takes care of their children. Han opened Honey Fashion’s doors fully on Tuesday, hoping to do enough business to offset significant financial pressures.
“Our landlord said, ‘See you in court,’” he said. “Oh my God, that’s not fair. They don’t care about the retailer. What’s the government’s plan? What about the small business owners? How can I live? I don’t understand. I’m still waiting to see if they’re going to help us or not.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.