Malls reopen; many stores remain closed
‘It looks just like it did before; the stores just aren’t open’
By the time Oak Court Mall closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, hundreds of people had cycled through the shopping mall.
Lakaisha Johnson of Memphis was struck most by how normal things seemed. After two months of mostly staying at home with her family, she stopped by on Tuesday afternoon to pick up a few things at Bath & Body Works.
"It looks just like it did before; the stores just aren't open," she said.
Since the global pandemic began, thousands of people across Shelby County have contracted the coronavirus. By Thursday morning, 76 people had died, according to the Shelby County Health Department.
At the mall, workers outfitted in masks and gloves were cleaning the high traffic areas more frequently and at every entrance there were hand sanitizer stations, said mall General Manager Carmen King.
So many people had used them that some were already empty and waiting to be refilled by Tuesday afternoon. Throughout the mall, four more stations were added so
guests could clean their hands as they shopped.
There were signs with bold lettering all over the mall announcing that high touch areas like play areas for children and arcade games were temporarily closed because "YOUR HEALTH + SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY."
King said that when the mall closed, she never thought it would take so long to reopen. The initial order that closed all nonessential businesses in Memphis was only for two weeks, but it was renewed several times as the virus spread.
"I think that people are just wanting something to do after being cooped up in the house in quarantine for so long. I think us opening the mall back up gave them something to do," King said. "With them having their stimulus checks — most of them anyway — they had a great opportunity to come in and support some of our local and national retailers."
'You never know when things might close again'
The pandemic forced Oak Court shut in March after Mayor Jim Strickland issued an executive order. Similar orders issued all over Shelby County forced closures at other area malls.
Beginning May 4, as phase one of Shelby County's Back to Business plan kicked off, those forced to close their doors began to reopen.
Wolfchase Galleria reopened last week, but by the weekend only about one-quarter of the stores were welcoming shoppers. By Thursday, 19 of about 60 stores at Tanger Outlet Mall had reopened, according to its website.
Oak Court reopened Monday, though several stores remained closed there, too.
King said the mall waited an extra week to give retailers time to clean and get their spaces ready to follow social distancing guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials.
Johnson said she checked online before coming and expected Bath & Body Works to be open. She had tried ordering online while the store was closed, but her body care essentials still had not arrived.
"The shipping was taking too long," said Johnson, who was wearing a mask and shopping with a family member. "I thought I could just run in and pick something up . ... I thought the store was open, and it's not so we're about to get out of here."
To keep the number of shoppers in each store low, many opened and closed their doors and gates and customers came and went.
Trevontea Vinson also went shopping Tuesday. She and her two young boys waited outside Mr. King Jewelers as her husband wandered into the store to see if anything caught his eye.
"He wants an early Father's Day gift," Vinson said, pausing to stop her son from touching a public massage chair outside the store. "So we're getting him what he wants now before Father's Day. You never know when things might close again."
Normal still far away
When all of the major shopping malls in the Memphis area shut down, a tiny bit of life remained at Germantown's outdoor mall, Saddle Creek.
Restaurants offering curbside pickup for hungry diners were able to remain open. So were a small number of other businesses deemed essential, said Saddle Creek General Manager Kenneth Taylor.
Still, many storefronts were shuttered. Those forced to close began reopening as soon as phase one of the Back to Business plan allowed it.
"We had a few open on Monday, May 4, and a few more every day since then," Taylor said. "We're leaving those decisions up to individual retailers and their corporate parents. We suspect it will be awhile before we're back to our normal operating."
On its website, the mall directory showed about half the stores at the mall were still closed.
Since the reopening began, Taylor said customers have been slow to return.
"But according to our tenants, they're OK with that because they want to make sure they have their social distancing plans in place," he added.
At Collierville's Shops at Carriage Crossing, a similar scene unfolded. While its restaurants and retailers like Barnes & Noble, which switched to offer curbside pickup, were able to remain open, many others at the outdoor mall closed.
Macy's was the first major retailer to reopen on May 5. On Tuesday, Dillard's followed, a spokesperson confirmed.
Southland Mall in Whitehaven also began its reopening process as soon as the county ordinances allowed.
On May 4, 16 of its stores were open. In a statement, mall owner Namdar Realty Group advised all retailers to reopen and asked employees to follow safety protocols, including frequent hand-washing and wearing of personal protective equipment like face masks when interacting with customers.
Southland Mall in Whitehaven also began its reopening process as soon as the county ordinances allowed.
No decision yet about when phase two will begin
If spread of the virus remains low and area hospital capacity is not threatened, contact sports facilities, museums and galleries could follow the shopping malls in phase two of the three-phased reopening plan. Some occupancy restrictions may remain even after reopening to encourage social distancing.
Officials were not ready to announce when the second phase would begin, Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Alisa Haushalter said Thursday.
"This is a critical period," Haushalter said. "The cases that were contracted at the beginning of phase one will not show up until today, or over the weekend when we get lab reports back."
The health department director indicated they would wait until more conclusive case data from the first phase of reopening was available before offering their official guidance to elected officials.
Officials raise concern that too few are wearing face masks
On Thursday, Shelby County health officials asked residents to wear face masks — or just cloth coverings — while out in public, again.
Haushalter and Shelby County Health Officer Bruce Randolph said they were concerned about the lack of face masks they are seeing in the public.
Randolph noted that he had seen multiple employees at drive-thru restaurants not wearing masks properly. Under the Back to Business framework, forward-facing restaurant employees should be wearing masks.
At Oak County on Tuesday about half the patrons wore face coverings. Most employees inside stores and at kiosks also wore masks.
Germantown Fire Department to distribute masks to residents
The Germantown Fire Department will be distributing masks to residents, the city said. The masks will be handed out at the Pickering Center, located at 7771 Poplar Pike, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The masks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, the city said. There is a limit of one mask per individual, and no more than seven can be provided to a single family.
Residents will need to show their driver's license as proof of Germantown residency.
To pick up your mask, enter the Pickering Center using Melanie Smith Lane to the west of the center and pull through to the parking lot.
Residents will be asked to remain in their car while Germantown Fire personnel verify proof of residency before distributing the requested number of masks.