SNOHOMISH — Small businesses have been hurting financially since the beginning of the pandemic.
COVID restrictions have put a stranglehold on small businesses lacking the resources of the big-box stores. A failure to slow the curve of new cases has the small shops seeing substantially lower margins this holiday shopping season.
First Street in Snohomish is no different. Historic Downtown Snohomish Association (HDSA) executive director Terry Schuler said there has been a massive impact on the shops and restaurants in the historic Snohomish downtown, stating the problem is “deeply seeded” into the minds of the public.
“Unfortunately, the big stores are staying open too and everyone’s going to them,” Schuler said. “(The public is) thinking that by going to a small business they would be (prone) to catch COVID when you wouldn’t, you’d probably get it more in a big-box store.”
Store owners on First Street work hard to make day-to-day operations work with current restrictions.
“We’ve done everything,” Schuler said. “We’ve done the hand washing, the masks, everything that you could imagine that the state says that we needed to do to stay open.”
Even with all necessary precautions being taken, First Street will face a projected, nearly 50% loss in revenue this holiday season. Many stores are at risk of closing because of the decline in business.
“Their revenue has been split in half, and I know that there might be another relief packet and people are hoping that it’s more of a grant, not a loan. Schuler added that a loan must be paid back but a grant could keep the doors of these businesses open.
The most frustrating thing about the restrictions, according to Schuler, is the thought that someone is more prone to getting sick from going to a small shop when these store owners are taking precautions like changing the layouts of stores to accommodate for more social distancing.
She said many stores have even made the layout “one-way,” allowing for only one direction to be traveled throughout the store.
The First Street businesses have adapted to the new normal and have created a way to get store products delivered curbside. On the HDSA website, stores in the historic downtown have the “open for business” tab listing store websites, location and other contact information. Shopping can be done online and picked up curbside allowing for contactless purchases.
“If you can go to Walmart or Costco, and go to the dentist or get your haircut, you can come to downtown Snohomish and support local business.”
Downtown stores are not the only businesses facing economic hardships during the pandemic, restaurants have been hit hard financially as well.
“They’re being slammed, absolutely slammed,” Schuler said.
Since the restrictions on indoor seating, restaurants on first Street have had tents in parking spaces accommodating the social distancing restrictions.
Schuler says the tents are being paid for by the CARES act but that only lasts until the end of the month. As of the recent ban on indoor seating about a month ago restaurants have been forced to offer to-go orders or outdoor seating.
Schuler said gift cards are useful to the small business shops and restaurants on First Street because the money spent on the gift card goes directly to the business and can be spent by shoppers at a later time when restrictions have lightened.
Visit this link for a list of businesses, websites and contact information page on the HDSA website.
