Manchester creates new ‘Curb Local’ program
Supports downtown merchants struggling during pandemic
MANCHESTER — Downtown Manchester merchants have joined a curbside pickup program meant to boost business during the coronavirus pandemic, a strategy that has worked for some retailers and restaurants in the state and nation.
So far, 14 businesses have signed up for the Love Local-Curb Local program, according to the Downtown Special Services District.
The district has designated curbside pickup spots on Main Street. Customers place orders, park in a pickup spot, then call the business on arrival. A worker then delivers the food or products to the customers in their cars.
Curbside service has become popular throughout the nation as people seek to avoid indoor and close-up contacts, according to surveys and news reports. Medallia Zingle, a technology company specializing in text messaging platforms, found in a survey (bit.ly/3stJ07P) conducted early in the pandemic that contactless commerce is an economic driver and “has become commonplace with big-box retailers, grocery stores and all types of restaurants expanding their curbside pickup services.”
Survey results included:
87% of respondents said businesses should continue to offer options like curbside pickup that limit contact.
79% said they will seek information on businesses’ health and safety standards and practices before visiting.
77% reported that in the future, the amount of in-person interaction required at a business will factor into whether they visit.
Surveyed on May 21, 45% of respondents also said their experiences with businesses that added curbside pickup since COVID19 had been “a little rocky” or “poor.”
Restaurants have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, and more than 600 in Connecticut have closed. Cary Wheaton, owner of the former Firebox Restaurant in Hartford, said curbside pickup and other takeout options were not enough to sustain the restaurant, which closed in June.
But curbside delivery also has saved some businesses, emerging “as many retailers’ best strategy for long-term survival in the e-commerce age,” The New York Times reported in a Nov. 8 story.
Beyond satisfying the need for contactless shopping, the paper reported, streetside delivery “taps into Americans’ desire to drive to a store, a pull that can be just as strong as, or even stronger than, the convenience of home delivery.”
Businesses in downtown Manchester participating in the curbside program so far include The Firestone | Art Studio & Cafe, Manchester Cheesecake Company, Silk City Coffee, Bistro on Main, Teriyaki Box, ACCRA Mall USA (860-432-2473), Sukhothai Restaurant, John Boyle Decorating, 21 Oak, Frame Dimensions, Lucky TAGO, T-Mobile, Mexico Lindo Restaurant, Salon 292 and Creative Notions.
For updates on participating businesses, visit downtownmanchester.org/newsupdates.