How Modesto, Stanislaus County retail shops plan to reopen this week amid coronavirus
After about seven weeks of being closed to help combat the coronavirus outbreak, some retail shops and other businesses across Stanislaus County will begin reopening Friday.
But shopping will definitely not return to normal, at least not right away. The county’s public health order has limited non-essential retail shopping to curbside pickup or delivery only, meaning leisurely browsing your favorite boutique or thrift store is not in the cards.
The county will also allow dog groomers and drive-in theaters to reopen. There are no existing drive-in theaters in the region, but a few groups have inquired about holding special drive-in movie events.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles also announced that select field offices, including the branches in Modesto and Stockton, will reopen for in-person appointments this Friday.
For business owners, reopening their doors but still not letting the public inside will require them to get creative and set up safe ways to showcase their merchandise. For Grand Events/The Party Guys owner Ray Pogue that means changing the setup at his shop entrance in north Modesto a few doors down from Trader Joe’s.
The party supply business has been closed since March 18, a day before the governor issued a statewide stay-at-home order. Now Pogue plans to reopen Friday, in a limited curbside capacity, with one other employee. Between his stores in Stockton and Modesto he had to let some 24 employees go at the start of the shutdown.
His Modesto site on Dale Road will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, before starting its regular curbside hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays. The Stockton store will reopen at the same time.
New curbside stations being set up at shops
Customers who walk up will be greeted by a table on the sidewalk in front of its doors, then another table 6 feet away inside its doors where they will wait for customers. He and his staff member will wear masks and gloves and customers can fill out order forms on a clipboard that will be placed in a tray. Staff will then shop the order and ring up the sale inside.
Pogue, who has owned Grand Events for 23 years, hopes shopping will return to normal by October when his other business, The Halloween Guys, has its season. If not, he said, it might be time for him to retire.
“I just don’t see people rushing out to go to small businesses and spend money because things are so uncertain,” he said.
To help drum up business, he plans to put his floor-to-ceiling front windows to good use and fill them with displays of Mother’s Day arrangements and gifts as well as items celebrating area high school graduates by school. He will be open to walk-up and phone orders.
Pogue isn’t the only one paying extra attention to his window displays. In downtown Modesto Fleur de Lis boutique owner Ruth Merritt plans to enhance her sidewalk-facing windows in hopes of capturing foot traffic and interest, especially on Modesto Certified Farmers Market days.
Her 16th Street store has been closed since March 18, when she also let go of her five employees. The home decor and gift shop will reopen starting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday for curbside pickup, and then possibly also Saturday depending on how the first day goes.
“I’m trying to think of new ways to approach this that will also be fun for the customers,” said Merritt about her 35-year-old business. “Sometimes you can see things online, but if you are looking at a store window then you can see how beautiful it is.”
She has had screens and paper over her windows since closing, but they will be unveiled starting Friday. If things go well starting next week the shop will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. She said orders can be taken over the phone or email, and she is offering complimentary local deliveries.
Longtime McHenry Village staple Lino Bella — a bed, bath and home accessories shop — has taken its sales and shopping virtual during the shutdown. The family-run business has used its Instagram account to give tours and showcase products. Owner Leila Bibi has also Facetimed with customers in the store, giving people as close to a shopping experience as allowed.
The shop will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday for curbside pickup, and then will assess whether regular hours will be set moving forward. Since the shutdown they have been offering some limited by appointment shopping as well.
Some stores waiting until customers allowed inside
Still other Modesto boutiques, with less tech-savvy clientele, are waiting until customers can come back inside to reopen. The sisters who own Eve & Me clothing boutique also in McHenry Village have been contacting people via phone, email and direct mail since they shut down March 22. They’ve built a large customer base over their more than 40 years in business, said co-owner Sue Wilhite.
“With the age of our customer, she does not shop online. So until we can reopen and let customers inside, we’re showcasing some items on Facebook, offering gift cards and porch deliveries,” she said of their clientele who are typically from 60 to 80 years old. “We’ve been in business 42 years and this is the most unique situation we’ve ever faced. But people have been very kind, customers have reached out and shared a lot of love which has made us very happy.”
One of the county’s biggest retail complexes, Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall, will not be among the businesses reopening its stores this Friday or even this month. The northeast Modesto shopping complex has been closed since March 23, when it locked its doors.
The only inside business currently operating is LensCrafters, which is allowing its clients to pick up prescription by appointment. Most of the mall’s external restaurants remain open for pickup and delivery. The mall has posted a note on its website saying the other stores will remain closed “through May 31.”
Pet groomers will start reopening on Friday, including the Posh Paws Pet Salon in east Modesto. The public health order restricts grooming to only dogs, as cats have been found susceptible to coronavirus, and social distancing must be maintained for staff and customers.
Tiffany Lara, whose husband owns the business, said unlike with some retail shops they expect to be busier than ever when they return to work next week. They have been going through 20 pages of voicemails left since they shuttered on April 2, after a health order at the end of March clarified that they should close.
They are already booked solid until at least May 19, and she said the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. The shop, which recently relocated to Lakewood Avenue, will reopen on Tuesday, May 12, and then be open starting at 8 a.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays by appointment only.
They’ll have new safety protocols in place, including having the four-person staff wear masks and requiring all collars, leashes and personal effects to be removed from pets before arrival. Only one person will be allowed in the lobby at a time, and customers will not be allowed to wait inside during appointments. Staff will all wear masks and dogs will be washed first thing before starting any grooming.
“There’s not going to be any slow warm-up for us. We’re going to go straight into it, but obviously there will be a lot of adjusting,” Lara said. “We’re hoping everyone will realize that we won’t be able to show them how good and friendly we normally are. The impersonal thing is hard. But we’re all figuring this out together.”
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 2:24 PM.
