Are all big-box stores in NY really open?

soap suds

Mon, May 25 2020, 5:19 pm

itsmeima wrote:

And what they're doing now isn't?

What they're doing now is hoping that they garner enough media attention and support which they hope will lead to restrictions being lifted sooner.

giselle

Mon, May 25 2020, 5:19 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

As I said, I hear all that. There are other ways to sell as well which would encourage customers (deliveries, free return pickups) though of course it makes it much harder to make a living.

Though they can lobby for their needs without crying discrimination and loudly going against regulations.

Ok, maybe. But honestly I think they are desperate. People are not making ends meet.

amother

Crimson

Mon, May 25 2020, 5:22 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

There are stores that have being doing it discreetly for a while without any issues. Better than illegally opening with all this fanfare.

From what I've heard, the point was the fanfare. Something having to do with the legal side of things. Because of the fanfare and police involvement they can now take it to court or something like that.
Don't quote me on it, I'm just repeating stuff I vaguely heard.
But I believe there was a method to the madness.

amother

Burlywood

Mon, May 25 2020, 5:26 pm

I live in Quebec and this was a topic of debate between the party in power (CAQ) and the opposition (PQ). The PQ wanted the big box stores to close off all non-essential aisles.

They ended up finding a way to allow people the convenience of one-stop shopping (especially since they have been waiting in line for long periods of time), while propping up small businesses.

The provincial government launched a committee of Quebec's most prominent business-people and they launched a sophisticated site called "Le Panier Bleu". It is a marketplace for local businesses, many of whom would otherwise struggle to develop an online presence. It is free and very user-friendly for both businesses and consumers. It was introduced during a press conference in early April and has been hugely successful. They now have more than 20 000 businesses, 16 000 of which do not have their own website.

There are ways to communicate and come up with solutions. Sadly, US politics seems too toxic and polarized for effective government.

keym

Mon, May 25 2020, 5:51 pm

I think a big part of the problem is that when the PPP loans became available (federal loans with forgiveness based on specific criteria like not firing workers), the big box companies snatched up a huge portion of the available funds, leaving not enough for the mom and pop store owners.
So they got access to the "free money" and their sales are much better than ever.

The double standard is that legally I can buy shoes, a t-shirt, or a box of lego in Walmart, but the government won't let the toy store, clothing store or shoe store open even with masks, social distancing and reduced capacity.