Video above: Workers aren맥스카지노�t willing to let their newfound job flexibility goFor small retailers across the country, the coronavirus outbreak has turned an already challenging business environment into never-ending uncertainty.Amy Witt might have 20 customers on a good day in her Dallas women맥스카지노�s clothing store, and then none the next.맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s a rollercoaster we ride every day,맥스카지노� says Witt, whose store, Velvet Window, reopened May 1 after being closed since March. 맥스카지노�We맥스카지노�re doing everything we can to cover expenses and keep the store stocked with inventory.맥스카지노�Many of Witt맥스카지노�s older customers are still shy about going into stores, especially since the virus has resurged in Texas. As she reopened the store in May, Witt told The Associated Press she planned to use services like private shopping hours to encourage reluctant customers to come in. The strategy has helped but sales remain well below Witt맥스카지노�s expectations. She hopes to boost sales by selling at an outdoor market where shoppers can feel more comfortable.Still, Witt is grateful to be open 맥스카지노� there are empty stores in the shopping center where Velvet Window is located.Small retailers, especially those selling non-necessities like apparel, are still struggling months after state and local governments lifted shutdown orders aimed at containing the virus. With the virus far from under control in many areas, however, consumers worried about getting sick are staying home and doing their purchasing online or, if they venture out, going to big stores like Walmart and Target where they can do one-stop shopping.The weak sales and erratic customer traffic have forced store owners to be creative in hopes of persuading customers to stop in rather than order from a big online retailer. But for some owners, disappointing sales and an uncertain outlook have forced them to close their stores for good and stake the future of their businesses on the internet.Washington was one of the first epicenters of the virus, and one of the first states to shut down its economy. Ambika Singh felt the impact immediately: Her company, Armoire, rents clothing to professional women. Her customers, suddenly stuck at home, no longer needed outfits for the office, dinners and business trips.Singh has permanently closed her two stores in Seattle, knowing they couldn맥스카지노�t be sustained. She맥스카지노�s adapted her online business to meet customers맥스카지노� rapidly changing needs 맥스카지노� they wanted different clothes, like luxury loungewear or more dress shirts to look business-like on videoconferences even as they wore sweatpantsHaving lost customers due to the weakened economy, Armoire맥스카지노�s revenue is down about 35% from February, which was its best month ever. One of Singh맥스카지노�s biggest challenges now is marketing to new customers as she tries to replace the shoppers who left.맥스카지노�As we맥스카지노�ve lost the physical connection with customers, can we rebuild?맥스카지노� she says.The internet has been a refuge for many retailers during the pandemic, says Carlos Castelan, managing director of The Navio Group, a retail consultancy based in Minneapolis. He noted that Shopify, a company that hosts e-commerce websites, had a 71% increase in new stores in the second quarter compared to a year earlier.맥스카지노�They맥스카지노�re urgently setting up these e-commerce models to serve their customers,맥스카지노� he says.The most recent retail sales tallies from the government show sales at clothing sellers, which tend to have physical locations, fell nearly 36% from May through July. But online and other non-traditional retailers saw their sales soar 26%.Small retailers have also learned to be more customer-friendly. They're using, for example, texts to communicate with shoppers and making pickups easier by setting aside dedicated parking spaces so people can grab and go, Castelan says. And stores are letting shoppers know they are trying to keep everyone safe.맥스카지노�The primary driver has been as much about convenience and safety. That맥스카지노�s more the story rather than merchandising,맥스카지노� he says.The internet has been a lifeline for Antonelli맥스카지노�s Cheese Shop. The Austin, Texas, store remained open during the government-ordered shutdown, but many consumers stayed home, sharply reducing store traffic. The shop also sells to restaurants, which stopped ordering as they were forced to close. The shop맥스카지노�s business is still down 20%.Owners John and Kendall Antonelli say they맥스카지노�ve managed to survive by taking the events they normally run on their premises, like cheese tastings, and putting them online. They맥스카지노�ve had as many as 150 people take part in a tasting, with many people ordering cheese in advance and picking it up curbside. More recently, with fewer people sheltering at home, they맥스카지노�ve been more likely to get 50 people, but that is still about double the number of attendees they had pre-pandemic.The Antonellis revamped their website so local customers can order a la carte instead of pre-selected packages 맥스카지노� that맥스카지노�s more expensive for the store, but it keeps people happy and shopping.The Antonellis have learned that several cheese shops in other cities have gone out of business, so they know they too could be at risk.맥스카지노�We are potentially considered one of the success stories 맥스카지노� and what I mean by that is we맥스카지노�re still operating,맥스카지노� Kendall Antonelli says.Business has been slow since Mallory Shelter맥스카지노�s Washington, D.C., jewelry store reopened in June. Shelter, whose store bears her name, responded to the pandemic and shutdown by pouring her marketing efforts into her website. It now accounts for 75% of her revenue, up from 8% before the virus struck, but her overall revenue is down by half. She also has changed her product mix, focusing more on custom items that can have a more personal meaning for buyers.A big question is whether her in-store business will recover in time for the holiday season that starts three months from now.맥스카지노�This is the month when I맥스카지노�m preparing for the holidays. But that looks really hard when you don맥스카지노�t know if you맥스카지노�re going to be open, if there맥스카지노�s going to be another wave of the virus or what people맥스카지노�s spending will be like,맥스카지노� Shelter says.