Furniture is essential, and stores can limit shoppers

Some industries have been particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, brick-andmortar retailers of products deemed “nonessential” have been forced to close by various state-issued executive orders over the past few weeks. These orders are understandable — with the spread of the virus accelerating, states needed to take quick action to force social distancing while allowing critical elements of the economy to function. But there have been unintended consequences.

Because of the distinction between “essential” and “nonessential” products, the hardships inflicted on businesses have not been equal — or intended. For example, in the furniture industry, big-box retailers have been allowed to sell furniture throughout the pandemic because they also sell other products such as medications, food and hardware.

At the very same time, this crisis is causing families to quarantine together, forcing people to work from home while children study and college students finish semesters from home. Families are finding they need furniture that will allow them to live and work comfortably and productively in their new homebound realities. Some may find that they need specialized furniture, such as “lift chairs” that assist the elderly or infirm to get in and out of chairs.

As a result, we believe household furniture should be considered an essential product, and furniture retailers should be permitted to operate consistent with CDC guidelines. The goal of the closure orders was not to close businesses and stifle the economy. The goal was to slow the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the infection curve. Furniture retail stores can operate in such a way that employees and guests are less exposed to social contact than employees and guests in grocery stores, pharmacies, auto repair shops and other retail businesses that have been deemed “essential.” Therefore, the risk of allowing furniture retailers to be considered “essential businesses” to reopen and sell much-needed products is minimal.

Alternatively, if furniture retailers cannot be deemed “essential” at this time for some reason, furniture retailers should be among the first businesses allowed to reopen in the first wave of easing of restrictions on nonessential businesses. Furniture stores can operate by appointment, allowing easy monitoring of the number of customers in the store, generally spread throughout the day anyway, which would be one way to allow furniture retailers to transition from closure orders to reopening fully in the future . ...

Throughout our country, the furniture industry employs hundreds of thousands of Americans, providing products that are in high demand during this crisis and pumping millions of dollars in employee paychecks, taxes and investments into our communities ....

For the benefit of customers, employees and our economy, we request that N.M. furniture retailers be among the first wave of nonessential businesses allowed to reopen, due to the importance of their products and the clear ability to maintain social distancing and cleaning protocols.