Area business owners face unique challenges because of COVID-19

— Angie Steffen 

Laurel Advocate

LAUREL — Life as we know it has drastically changed due to the corona-virus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19.  

Schools, governmental offices and businesses are now taking increased measures to keep themselves and their patrons and customers safe from the fast-spreading disease.

Community retailers, who are considered essential services within this outbreak, have had to make some major changes.

Kim Wattier of  Ace Hardware in Laurel and Wattier’s True Value in Randolph and Gary Anderson of Gary’s Food Town took time out from their duties to talk about what’s happening in their stores.

Both retailers experienced new customers stopping in from outside town during the outbreak.

Anderson said he had people shopping in his store from Omaha and Yankton due to the outbreak and other stores being out of items.

Wattier has seen the same.

“We’ve had people from the towns around in and I talked to a lady going from Iowa to Colorado. She was sleeping in her car,’’ Wattier said.

Wattier said the virus situation has hit right when she and her husband, Scott, are switching the store in Laurel to Ace Hardware.

“We are getting shelves in and merchandise in,’’ Wattier said. “We have told our employees if they are afraid of getting sick they don’t have to come in. We had one employee decide not to take the risk due to health concerns.’’

One thing Wattier said she’s noticed is an increase in paint sales and items for home repairs. 

“People are at home and want something to do so they are finishing many projects they have wanted to do,’’ she said. “I do worry about Scott and Travis Gerdes out on calls for service. The virus is invisible and we don’t know where it is. ‘’

Wattier said her family hasn’t really been affected greatly other than her son, Preston, being home from school. He is doing his studies online.

“I stocked up on food,’’ Wattier said. “I wanted to have enough of the essential foods.’’

Anderson said there’s no shortage of food, although the outbreak is affecting everyone from coast to coast.

“I haven’t experienced anyone hoarding. People are being down to earth. It’s good people are staying home,’’ he said. “Toilet paper and bleach cleaners are in real short supply. People are using common sense, although there has been strong buying. We’ve seen a 43 percent increase in business. I think it is important for us to remember that we are all in this together. Everyone could be affected. Everybody has to respect the rules and follow the instructions from resources. Everyone needs to stay grounded.’’

Anderson said he’s taking the outbreak in stride. 

“I’ve lived through the polio epidemic, Korea, the oil embargo and three or four recessions,’’ he said. “Most everyone around hasn’t been through these things. When we get through this, I think we’ll come back even better.’’

He said when he ordered cases of toilet paper he got about half of what he ordered. 

“We put it out on the shelf and it was first come first served,’’ Anderson said. “We are ordering more of everything that we keep in stock. The warehouses aren’t getting items from the manufacturers. Since the 1990s, economics have dictated that there isn’t more than a two-week supply on hand so there aren’t huge amounts of anything. This is the business standard. Now the pipeline has been emptied. In a matter of time, we’ll get through this.’’

Wattier said she received a letter from True Value about the outbreak.

 The letter gave directions about a “shelter-in-place’’ order that employers may need to give their employees who are working in essential services like hardware stores and grocery stores. 

The letter states: “As the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, ‘shelter in place’ orders are happening across the country at the state level. Under a shelter-in-place order, residents must remain home and only venture out for necessities. 

Those working in ‘essential’ professions are exempt from this mandate and allowed to travel to and from their place of employment. As these new orders come down from different states, hardware and distribution have been deemed essential in every executive order and allowed to remain open.

We want to assure you that if a shelter in place order happens in your state there is no reason to believe that you will have to close. However, we will inform you as additional states announce a shelter in place order and share the details with you.

Additionally, all True Value Distribution Centers remain open and operating at full capacity at this time....We have created numerous materials to help you communicate changes in your business operation and special services to your customers during the COVID-19 crisis. 

We have also provided a Safe Passage letter template that you can customize and give to your employees should they get questioned by any local authority while traveling to and from work. Thank you for continuing to serve your communities during this ever-evolving situation.”

Wattier said she did have the N-95 masks in stock, however, she made sure they went to health care facilities. 

“I called the doctor’s office. The Wakefield nursing home took some of the masks also,’’ Wattier said. “We still have cleaning supplies in stock with the 99.9 germ killing capacity.’’ 

Wattier said she feels the outbreak most affects kids and older people. “They shouldn’t be out, but one person at home gets pretty lonely,’’ she said. “If anyone knows of older people at home alone, they need to be making phone calls to them as we don’t want them to get depressed. I worry about the older generation. They are the best generation. We don’t want to lose them. Kids also need to be home and shouldn’t be out with friends.’’

Lysol and toilet paper have been some items that have been popular, according to Wattier. 

“Any of the cleaners that have 99.9 percent ability to kill germs are good,’’ she said. “We have also started cleaning door handles more and anything that is touched like carts. We have a pen that we clean every time after someone uses it.’’

Two weeks ago, Wattier said there were individuals who came in and wiped them out of hand sanitizer. People were selling it on the Internet. “I talked to my store managers and we decided to limit hand sanitizers except to health organizations,’’ she said. 

Wattier said she didn’t think the virus situation would reach this area. She said she feels the danger is higher with people traveling for their jobs.

“We are trying to get more masks and some of the cleaning items that we are out of, but the warehouses are out. We’re going to get some as soon as we can. We do still have some essential cleaning items,’’ she said. “I think it will be at least three months before we are past this. People are going to want to get outside and work in their gardens soon.’’

“We haven’t started curbside service or delivery,’’ Wattier said. “We all care about each other. We don’t want to lose anyone. We have to take care of each other.’’