The past month brought a glimmer of hope for Idaho retailers moving forward.  May 1^st marked the beginning of Idaho’s Stage 1 of reopening, with many non-essential retailers being allowed to open their doors for the first time in over a month. Stage 2 of reopening began May 16^th – allowing for another wave of business owners to open –including dine-in restaurants, salons, and fitness centers.  Stage 3 began last week, on May 30^th, as most remaining retailers – such as bars and movie theaters – were able to open their doors.  Although shopping, entertainment, and services may look different as retailers must still adhere to business protocols – the buzz of excitement is in the air. 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho retailers are feeling the impact personally. Although Idaho hasn’t enacted a shelter-in-place policy at the time of this post, many cities are starting to mandate social distancing orders which directly impacts restaurants, gyms, retail stores, and more.

In response, retailers are becoming resourceful with many restaurants switching to take-out or delivery, fitness centers adding online fitness videos, and retail stores offering online ordering.