Sask.’s retailers are split over when to open doors
Business owners worried about pandemic risk to staff, customers
On May 19, Christine Keck, owner of Moose Jaw boutique Cranberry Collective, opted — albeit anxiously — to reopen her business’s doors to the public.
Meanwhile, stores like Regina-based Mortise & Tenon weren’t yet prepared to take what owners considered a significant risk.
Just as individuals have viewed Saskatchewan’s ongoing reopen strategy differently, so too have the province’s retail outlets.
“We just kind of felt that there just wasn’t necessarily enough time in between the phases to really get a good idea of how some of these things opening was going to affect our (COVID-19) numbers,” said Dani Hackel, co-owner of Mortise & Tenon. “And we just felt that we wanted to make sure that our staff was comfortable and felt safe coming back. And for ourselves and for our customers, we just want to make sure that everyone was able to stay safe.”
The store closed prior to the provincial mandate and has been operating online, offering both curbside pickup and delivery.
“We pride ourselves on the in-person experience with coming into the store, but our customers have been really, really good about supporting local this whole time,” she said. Meanwhile, Keck chose, for financial reasons, to reopen Cranberry Collective’s doors.
She said the store made what turned out to be a serendipitous move by opening its online store in January, not long before COVID -19 hit the province.
“We were still greatly impacted ( because) the majority of our sales are done in store, but we did have the outlet, at least, for some revenue to come in,” Keck said.
Both Cranberry Collective and Mortise & Tenon carry items created by Saskatchewan sellers, broadening the provincial impact of COVID-19 as it relates to these two businesses.
Even though economics dictated reopening was necessary for her business, Keck didn’t jump in enthusiastically.
“I was almost as stressed about reopening as I was shutting the doors, I think just because there was so much to consider in terms of people’s safety and particularly my staff I was worried about …,” Keck said. “There were guidelines given, so we’re following those, but then you want to make sure that you’re doing whatever you can to keep people safe.”
Keck said the store utilizes hand sanitizer and asks customers to take their own clothes to the fitting rooms, among other precautions.
Steps taken by Saskatchewan retailers include adjusting floor layouts to avoid customers coming in contact with each other.
“Now it’s more laid out by physical space between customers and physical space between merchandise,” said David Williams, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan Edwards School of Business, who specializes in retail marketing.
Some retailers have had to change the flow of traffic in their stores so customers are able to shop conveniently. Prioritizing public health means reduced emphasis on the shopping experience, where traditionally it’s not just about the purchase but being able to touch and choose between items or have contact with sales clerks.
“The No. 1 thing is convenience for public health and safety, which has changed the shopping experience, I think, from being very more convenient and task-oriented,” Williams said. “It becomes — without contact — more quick and efficient and less time for impulsive (purchases).”
Dutch Growers in Saskatoon has been open since Phase 1 of the province’s reopening plan because it is a hybrid of a home and garden centre and fashion boutique. Although it had customers in the store long before other fashion retailers, previous regulations meant customers couldn’t touch the clothes until after they were purchased and bagged, says Nikki Vanduyvendyk, one of the store’s owners. She was excited to reopen the giftware and fashion boutique as it means getting closer to normal capacity.
Since Phase 1, Dutch Growers has required all customers and staff to wear face coverings in the store. Customers are required to sanitize their hands when entering and before going into fitting rooms. It has implemented an extra step of sanitizing hangers and steaming every item of clothing tried on.
“It should be a regulated step for all the stores if they’re going to have the change rooms open because I just think it’s the responsibility of the owners to keep the public safe,” Vanduyvendyk said.
Some retailers have increased their use of e-commerce, but shoppers are often shopping both online and in person, Williams said. Vanduyvendyk has also noticed that customers tend to want to look up products in advance of shopping, which is why Dutch Growers has made its website catalogue more robust.
“It’s so important for us to have an online presence right now — all the time, even before this happened, because a lot of customers, before they’re going out, they’re wanting to look at some sort of a catalogue of your company. They want to see pictures, they want to do some research,” she said.
While some stores are trying to get back to some version of normal, there are constant reminders that normal isn’t back yet. Keck’s store, in downtown Moose Jaw, has felt the drop in tourist traffic.
“A lot of people are still choosing to stay home, which I completely understand,” Keck said.