Coronavirus shut Boise businesses. Now, with curbside service, they hope you’ll order
After Gov. Brad Little issued his stay-home order last month, closing the physical locations of businesses deemed nonessential, the options for Rediscovered Books were limited.
In-store browsing was out. Customers of Rediscovered Books in downtown Boise and Caldwell and Once and Future Books in Boise could order books online and have them shipped or delivered.
But Little’s amended order, announced Wednesday, cracks the front door open again. It allows businesses that can provide curbside pickup service to offer it. The order allows flower shops, jewelry stores and others a chance to regain some revenue — and perhaps put a few people back to work — while still preventing customers from going inside.
“We’ll have curbside pickup from noon to 5 p.m. at our Boise location starting immediately and during the same hours at our Caldwell store beginning Monday,” Rediscovered co-owner Laura DeLaney said by phone.
Business owners and managers who spoke to the Statesman said they agree with Little’s order, though they have mixed feelings about the benefits of curbside service. Philip Portsche, owner of Portsche’s Fine Jewelry, 816 W. Idaho St., said he has security concerns about delivering costly jewelry on the curb. Chad Dryden, marketing manager for The Record Exchange, 1105 W. Idaho St., said his store isn’t prepared to do that until it’s sure if can be done safely.
The owners and managers say they also have mixed emotions about plans to fully reopen stores to customers, which could happen as early as May 1. They want the added sales but not at the expense of more people getting infected with the coronavirus.
Rediscovered Books goes virtual
While Rediscovered Books delivered more than 250 packages for Easter, it was a far cry from what the three stores would have sold had the coronavirus not led to a clampdown on business, she said.
“We are down significantly,” DeLaney said.
The store has looked to drive business by having authors speak online. Since they can’t have authors appear at the store, DeLaney is working to have authors autograph books and send them back. She’s also working to develop an online book club.
“We can use virtual methods to maintain our community,” she said. “We’re doing more videos, like one I did on our new releases.”
Portsche’s can’t take costly jewelry to the curb
Portsche, said he’d like Portsche’s Fine Jewelry to offer curbside delivery but that’s just not possible.
“Unfortunately, my insurance companies will not allow me to take a $50,000 piece out onto the curb to someone I’ve never met before,” Portsche said by phone. “That’s kind of frowned upon in the industry.”
Portsche, who has been in business for 20 years, is able to offer video consultations and take online orders, but that has its limits.
“A picture’s worth 1000 words, but nothing beats being able to hold an item in your hands,” Portsche said. “If you were buying your wife a $3,000 necklace, you want to see it before you put money on the table.”
Record Exchange seeks employee, customer safety first
The Record Exchange has been filling online orders that are shipped to customers and is interested in developing a curbside pickup service, Dryden said by phone.
“It’s something we’ve been discussing since the governor extended the order Wednesday, but at this point, it’s too early to say when we’ll go to curbside pickup and delivery,” he said.
Owners of the store want to ensure that any plan puts the safety of store employees and customers as the top priority, he said.
“We won’t make any changes to the way we’re doing business until we feel we can safely offer curbside delivery,” Dryden said.
The store sustained a large loss of business because of the cancellation of the five-day indie rock Treefort Music Fest last month (rescheduled for Sept. 23 to 27). And Record Store Day, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been moved back to June 20.
“When Treefort appeared on the landscape it turned an average weekend in March to one of our best weekends of the year,” he said. “And in the last three years, we’ve set a new single-day sales record on Record Store Day. We really felt the double whammy of losing those sales.”
Blooms Flower Studio to add curbside delivery
Julie Browne, owner of Blooms Flower Studio, was able to remain open under Little’s original order because flower shops fall under agriculture, considered an essential business. She took orders by phone and online. But the amended order allows her to offer customers’ curbside deliveries at her shop at at 1220 W. State St. in Boise.
Business has dropped by about half. April is one of the busiest months in the floral business as the weather turns warmer and Browne opens the bay doors of the former gas station to entice people walking and driving past to come in.
Proms and Secretary Appreciation Day in past years brought lots of orders, along with school graduations in May. With schools and most businesses closed, those sales aren’t likely to be as robust this year.
She said she’s been touched by the care and concern shown by her customers.
“Not only have they supported me, but they’ve ordered extra flowers,” she said. “One of my good customers ordered 10 arrangements at $100 each. Another lady called and ordered 16 arrangements at $60 each. So they’re going above and beyond not only to help me but to lift their family and friends’ spirits.”
Florists and jewelry shops were among businesses Little mentioned during his Wednesday press conference announcing the amended order that could reopen if they could set up curbside delivery.
Florists, nurseries and greenhouses were exempt from Little’s stay-home order as “essential” agricultural businesses.
Edwards Greenhouse reopens
Some businesses are using Little’s amended order as a moment to reopen or expand even though the amendment may not apply to them.
Edwards Greenhouse on March 24 closed its retail store at 4106 W. Sand Creek St., off Hill Road, but kept offering pickups and delivery. It reopened on Thursday.
Like North End Organic Nursery, a competitor, Edwards reopened after putting in place measures to promote social distancing. Only 15 people are allowed in the greenhouse at a time, and they must wear face masks.
Customers are asked to bring shopping lists rather than browse. The company has an online list showing what plants are in stock.
“We ask that you please keep your children and pets at home,” Edwards wrote on its Facebook page. “If you must bring someone to shop with you, limit it to no more than one other person.”
Golf courses: Some reopen, some never closed
The city of Boise closed the publicly owned Warm Springs and Quail Hollow golf courses as part of a citywide shutdown of City Hall, Boise public libraries, Whitewater Park, park playgrounds, tennis courts and other places. Little’s amended order does not change that, Bonnie Shelton, spokeswoman for the Boise Parks and Recreation Department, said by email.
“The city’s golf courses are still closed at this time,” Shelton said.
Caldwell said it would reopen its Purple Sage and Fairview golf courses on Friday, with officials citing Little’s amended order. The city’s website did not reflect the reopening as of Friday afternoon.
Clubhouses were to open for golf transactions and limited concession purchases. All other meal service remain suspended. Only one golfer is allowed to ride in a cart.
The Plantation Country Club in Garden City and other private courses have stayed open throughout the pandemic. There was some question at first about whether golf courses could stay open under Little’s original order, but an opinion by Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said golfing was permitted.
“Golf is allowed and clubhouse food carryout is, too,” Wasden said in a March 26 tweet. “The main difference is the usual pro shop check-in, reservations, payment, etc. These need to take place on the phone, online or by other means that don’t involve person-to-person contact.”
Plantation shut its dining room and clubhouse and removed all of the patio furniture from the clubhouse, General Manager Jayson Peterson said by phone.
“Obviously no one is coming inside to the dining room,” Peterson said. “We just have takeout orders and deliver to the golf course.”
Plantation is allowing only one rider per golf cart, and carts are sanitized after every use. Foam noodles are placed inside each hole so golfers don’t have to touch the flagstick to retrieve their balls, he said.
“We’re trying to do our part to let people get outside and get some fresh air, sunshine and exercise, while maintaining proper social distancing,” he said.
