Curbside pickup a 'baby step in the right direction' for small stores closed by COVID-19

Marty Morgenstern will be able to offer curbside pickups from his clothing store starting Monday.

While he's happy to hear retailers will be able to get back to business, he's just not sure if it makes sense — at least for him.

And he has questions about the fairness of allowing larger chain stores that offer more than groceries to stay open during the pandemic and forcing smaller businesses to shut their doors and wait it out.

Morgenstern's, on James St. North, has served downtown Hamilton for more than half a century. The owner understands the closures and why some businesses have been deemed essential, but he does wonder why it appears everyone isn't being held to the same standard.

"I think there's some hypocrisy on which businesses can be open," he explained. "I feel that small retailers like myself are being punished more than the big ones are."

During a media briefing Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford said select retailers will be able to reopen as long as they follow the same public health guidelines currently in place at grocery stores such as physical distancing, contact-less payment and sanitization measures.

The news is a bit of hope after months of being shuttered by COVID-19, but  Morgenstern isn't alone in raising concerns about access to opportunity.

Tracy MacKinnon describes the government's announcement as a "baby step in the right direction."

She's the executive director of the Downtown Stoney Creek BIA which works with about 80 stores, shops and restaurants.

The pandemic has been "quite devastating" for small businesses, according to MacKinnon.

"In general everyone's business is down. Everyone's revenue is down."

Meanwhile, larger chain stores were allowed to remain open, raising questions of fairness and equal opportunity.

"How is it OK to walk into a grocery store that sells clothing and other housewares and that's OK to go in … whereas the small business that just sell clothing are not able to do that?" MacKinnon asked.

"It's sort of an unequal playing field and people just hope the playing field can be levelled out soon."

'A sight of relief'

The province has permitted nurseries and garden centres to reopen as of Friday, with hardware and safety supply stores following on Saturday.

"It's a sigh of relief," said Michael Simone, owner of Harper's Garden Centre in Dundas.

Unlike many who were handcuffed by closures during the pandemic, his business quickly pivoted to online sales and has since watched them grow.

"It's saved our April," he said.

The centre was actually cleared to open by city health officials about a week ago. Still, the virus has changed how staff operate, with everyone wearing gloves, masks and limiting the number of customers allowed in at the same time.

Simone is hopeful reopening on Friday will mark the beginning of a return to normal for everyone after the "roller coaster of emotion I know everyone has been going through."

Plenty of space, and questions

Meanwhile, the province has granted retail locations with street entrances the ability to start curbside pickups on Monday.

Morgenstern said Thursday that he hasn't made up his mind about whether or not to bring back staff.

His product is clothes — something that isn't easy to shop for sight unseen.

"People want to try it on or at least look at it. How do I sell it with pickup at the front? I can't," said Morgenstern.

The store is 8,000 square feet and usually welcomes in a few customers at a time, not crowds of hundreds, so if allowed to totally reopen he's confident he'd be able to keep people two metres apart while perusing the shelves.

"If I'm not open this Monday … I can't imagine them not letting my customers come into the store by the following Monday. If you can go into Shoppers … then why can't you come into my store?" wondered Morgenstern​​​​​.

"If I was a conspiracy-type of person I'd say they're trying to put the small business person out of business."