Retail reopens in Kentucky: 'I just hope the mall is going to be busy'
It was 57 days since non-essential businesses were ordered closed by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. On Wednesday, retail stores throughout Kentucky reopened.
Was it like Black Friday in May or did pandemic fears keep people home? If the morning and afternoon were any indication, many stores were still shuttered, and while customers were out, there were no waits at the cash registers.
At 10:30 a.m., Florence Mall was seeing the first trickle of customers. Some window-shopped. At 11 a.m., about the quarter of the stores in the mall had opened.
Kenny Houseworth, 24, of Newport, got to welcome customers back to the Foot Locker where he has been a manager for five years.
"It's nice to be around people and interacting with people – it's been over two months since we've been open," Houseworth said.
He and another employee were tasked with setting up sanitizing stations in the store.
Houseworth said he feels safe about reopening because of the precautions Foot Locker is taking – he will have to wear a mask and gloves.
"I feel safe, I just hope the mall is going to be busy – I hope," Houseworth said.
Around lunch time, Forever 21 was one of the busiest stores at the mall. In 20 minutes, about 15 people entered the store. Two women with a stroller were turned away because they didn't have masks.
A mall associate was walking around distributing masks if any customers wanted them.
Only Great American Cookie was open at the food court.
Josh Bennett, an associate at Schulz and Sons Jewelers at Expressway Plaza in Fort Mitchell, said the store had only one customer as of noon. Bennett estimated that on an average day before the new coronavirus pandemic, he would have seen a dozen people on a weekday morning.
Bennett, who is from Alexandria, said employees are disinfecting every item that customers try on. The store will add spacers to help with social distancing if more people start to shop.
Nancy Sterrett, 73, of Cold Spring, came to Michaels to spend her stimulus money on cloth to make masks, she said.
She's on the lookout for some fabric with Dash from Incredibles on it to make a mask for her friend’s grandson.
“We have to be cautious,” Sterrett said. “It’s still a real thing.”
She felt safe making the trip to Michaels, but said she's not ready to sit down at a restaurant yet. Limited inside dining will start Friday in Kentucky and Thursday in Ohio.
Dennis Harden, 64, from Fort Thomas, was in need of some golf supplies, and a Dick's Sporting Goods gift card had been burning a hole in his pocket since Christmas.
“I think people should be responsible,” Harden said, pointing to the mask which he wears everywhere now, being cautious due to his asthma.
He praised Beshear, saying the governor has been “very responsible."
Stores that choose to reopen will be required to keep the number of customers at or below 33% capacity to ensure social distancing.
Employees will be wearing masks. This is required by the state.
Beshear's order also instructs businesses to limit person-to-person interactions, but how this will play out is unclear.
Some stores could require customers to wear masks, it's up to the management. You might even get a squirt of hand sanitizer as someone welcomes you into a store.
Matt Stonecash, 41, of Mount Auburn, wore an N95 mask as he shopped at Dick's.
“It doesn’t cost me much and it will hopefully help me prevent spreading something (if he’s asymptomatic)," Stonecash said. “Just in case”
He bought some tennis balls to try standing on them to stretch his injured foot.
Martha Dennis, 67, of Alexandria, was out shopping Wednesday in the Cold Springs area.
“If we’re smart about things, I think it’s OK to be getting back to shopping and things like that,” she said. “Both being too cautious and too reckless is going to end up making people’s lives worse.”
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