Coronavirus Fairfield: Store Owners Talk Layoffs, Uncertainty

FAIRFIELD, CT — The doors to some Fairfield stores may be locked, but that doesn’t mean they’re not open for business.

Many retailers are under a state order that bans non-essential businesses from allowing customers in their physical locations through April 22 in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. In the meantime, Fairfield stores affected by the order continue to serve their patrons any way they can.

“We’re getting creative and figuring out ways to make things happen,” said Greg French, owner of Henry C. Reid & Son Jewelers. “… It’s been a learning curve.”

French’s store had been considering putting its inventory online when the coronavirus reached Connecticut and the business now has all its items available to view on its website. Customers can peruse pieces online and then contact the store to make a purchase via curbside pickup, delivery or shipping.

Specialty athletic shoe store Sound Runner is also offering curbside pickup, as well as providing virtual shoe fittings via Skype. By the end of the week, Fairfield General Manager Preston Ranton was hoping to provide customers with the option to buy online, although earlier in the week anyone who wanted to purchase something needed to call the store directly.

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“The business has definitely dropped off quite a bit” said Ranton, who added that after the order is lifted, his store may continue to provide curbside pickup and online fittings. “... What it has done is it’s created convenience for other people.”

Marc Rosenblum, the owner of Fairfield’s HobbyTown store, said his business always offers online ordering and delivery, and in the two weeks prior to closing its doors, the store saw an uptick in orders through its website. Sales were more brisk than usual in general during those weeks as people stocked up on items to keep themselves and their children occupied while spending most of their time at home as a precaution against the virus. HobbyTown nearly sold out of puzzles, and models and trains were hot items, too, Rosenblum said.

That boon is not enough to counterbalance other effects of the coronavirus, according to Rosenblum. The virus, also called COVID-19, has drastically changed daily life for Fairfield residents. In addition to the business closures, schools have switched to remote learning and public recreation areas are no longer open. As of Thursday, there were 16 confirmed cases of the virus in Fairfield and more than 600 cases had been confirmed in Fairfield County, according to state data.

“We’ve effectively laid off our entire staff at this point so that they’re eligible for unemployment insurance,” Rosenblum said. “… It’s really hard to say how long everybody can survive. Probably not long is my guess.”

At Wild Birds Unlimited, where delivery orders are typically only 3 to 5 percent of the business, Fairfield store Owner Chris Petherick is concerned, although he added the number of orders for delivery that the business is getting has changed dramatically in recent weeks. He and his wife are running the bird watching supply store alone, with all other employees on hiatus.

“I don’t know how long it’s sustainable for,” he said. “… We’ll have a drop in revenues for sure.”

Petherick added he felt confident the business would survive with the support of its customers.

"Our customers are fantastic," he said. "They've responded really well."