Associations provide support for safe shopping
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Sentinel
OCEAN CITY — This summer, Ocean City will look different with outside dining, Plexiglas guards and people wearing face masks. As more at the shore begins to open, merchants are preparing a new normal for the influx of summer tourists.
The Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with the Downtown Merchants Association and Boardwalk Merchants Association to create a uniform message to encourage visitors to practice mask-wearing and social distancing.
Downtown Merchants Association President Danielle Guerriero is excited to see the stores open again and people supporting small businesses. Guerriero owns a boutique called Ta-Dah with five locations in Ocean City.
“Walking down Asbury Avenue today, every store had someone [shopping] in it,” Guerriero said. “It’s such a positive thing to see. The town is open and we’re ready for everyone to come and are taking all the precautions to make sure everyone is safe.”
Hand-sanitizer stations have been placed along Asbury Avenue and the boardwalk. Consistent signage is hung around town, reminding visitors to be cautious and mindful.
“At Ta-Dah, we ask all our customers to wear masks while coming in,” Guerriero said. “We’ve been sanitizing merchandise and we opened dressing rooms to the public.”
Guerriero has a team of workers steaming items before putting them on the floor.
“People are shopping and love to be out and are having a great time,” Guerriero said. “Only 25 people can be in the store at a time, which is the 50 percent occupancy set by Gov. Murphy.”
Before the re-opening phase allowing retail stores to let people inside, many stores offered curbside pickup.
“We made the best with what we had, in the best way,” Guerriero said. “We reached out to [businesses] to do window sales and bring a whole new meaning to window shopping.”
B&B Department Store has precautions in place for both customers and associates.
“Our customers are looking to see that we are watching out for them and being as diligent as we can,” store manager David Coffey said. “We have a monitor at the front door maintaining the 50 percent occupancy count in the building.”
Coffey said B&B decided to keep fitting rooms closed for the summer. Associates help customers form lines for each register bay while maintaining a social distance.
“We’ve been hitting the maximum occupancy of 50 percent almost every day at one point or another, but the wait is never long,” Coffey said. “We are managing the flow of people effectively so they can shop at their leisure but get in and out quickly.”
One of the new norms this summer will include watching for maximum occupancies.
“I see lines of varying degrees when I look up and down Asbury Avenue,” Coffey said. “The new norm will be many of the things we are already doing, facemasks, sanitizing and space restrictions.”
Caitlin Quirk, owner of Bowfish Kids, started offering private in-store appointments for her customers.
“The idea came out of wanting to serve our customers in the safest way we possibly could,” Quirk said. “It’s been working out better than when we were open, which is kind of crazy.”
Bowfish Kids offers the option of booking private shopping hours on its website, bowfishkids.com, with options for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour-long appointment. High-touch areas are sanitized before and after appointments and masks are required.
“We’ve had so much amazing feedback that we’re continuing appointments from here on out because a lot of our customers are in that more at-risk age bracket,” Quirk said.
Bowfish Kids modified its daily hours for appointment shopping from 9 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 9 p.m. Hours for the public are limited to 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“The first weekend everything opened up, the crowds were very uncomfortable and packed more than people wanted it,” Quirk said. “The next two weeks it died down but people are still coming. I think it’s going to be a weird year where things change every day.”
Quirk plans to continue the appointment shopping in the fall, especially as worries about a second wave of coronavirus increase.
“We wanted to get the word out to other small boutiques [to shop by appointment],” Quirk said. “It is more of a niche, small-business thing. It wouldn’t work for big stores like Walmart.”
LEH Soap Co. Vice President Jessica Englehart said this summer is about making everyone comfortable, for both business owners and customers alike.
“It’s a big adjustment and we’re all doing our best to be conscientious of what we are doing and understanding with one another,” Englehart said. “Our stores have everyone wearing masks, we have Plexiglas up, surfaces are wiped and we are using sanitizing wands.”
Helping businesses prepare with new health safety measures
“There has been a movement from the community, Boardwalk, Downtown Merchants Association, the city and Chamber of Commerce to have masks and 6 feet of social distancing,” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michele Gillian said. “All the sensible things to ensure a safe visit in Ocean City.”
Visitors will notice signage around town with reminders to follow the guidelines set forth by the state. Masks are required when going inside a business and strongly encouraged in crowds.
“We wanted to make sure once we opened, we stayed open,” Boardwalk Merchants Association President Wes Kazmarck said. “I’m very proud of these guys, the whole town really came together on it. It can be hard to be on the same page, but in this case we really were.”
From the initial closings in March, the business groups have met weekly via Zoom to discuss the changes and COVID-19 updates provided by the state, Kazmarck said.
“Given the circumstances where we were back in March, we’ve done the best with a very uncertain situation,” Kazmarck said. “The biggest difference this summer is everyone wearing masks. You don’t have to like it, but you [have to] do it as it’s the one common thing to help limit the spread.”
Regulations regarding restaurant capacity is another significant change visible this summer. To combat the seating limitations, certain spots downtown and on the boardwalk will have open-air dining.
“It’s a challenge for any restaurant, but when you talk about a seasonal one who only has 80 strong days to make a living, that’s incredibly challenging no matter what industry you’re in this year,” Kazmarck said.
Businesses have been creative and made the best of a tough situation, he said.
“The businesses downtown have really taken on a great role in being ambassadors and making sure the [precautions] are being followed,” Gillian said. “We’re hoping there is good weather, everyone stays safe and enjoys the summer and the small businesses will have the opportunity to recoup some of their losses.”
The process to move forward as businesses begin to open to the public is two-fold, Kazmarck said.
“We wanted people to know we were taking it very seriously and being safe, but we also wanted them to know they have to do their part, too,” Kazmarck added. “By doing that, everybody can stay safe and have a little different but still amazing summer in Ocean City.”
Restrictions continue to be lifted by Gov. Phil Murphy. Outdoor amusement parks, water parks and playgrounds now can open July 2.
“It will be a big plus to have our three major amusement parks, including Playland and Wonderland, to open,” Gillian said. “The waterpark and arcade will be open as well.”
Murphy said in a briefing he will issue more specific details regarding restrictions soon.
“The town is open and we’re ready for everyone to come and are taking all the precautions we need to make sure everyone is safe,” Guerriero said. “It’s a slow process but I think it’s working.”