HYANNIS – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the nation, residents are being urged to shop locally this Black Friday to support community businesses hit hard by the economic impacts of the virus.
Amanda Converse, CEO of Love Live Local, said that businesses across Cape Cod have lost anywhere between 20 percent and 70 percent of their yearly income due to the pandemic.
“And this is when they’re facing additional expenses because of the pandemic, whether it be they need to put new protocols in place, put new infrastructure in their businesses, invest in cleaning supplies and PPE. It’s a pretty scary situation, especially as we head into the winter,” said Converse.
Converse said that some businesses have been able to benefit from an extended summer and shoulder-season to recoup some of their losses, improving revenue in September and October as residents got more information on how to safely interact with their local community.
However, Converse said it did not make up for the severe losses from closures, decline in travel and reduced store capacity.
The disparity between larger corporate franchises and local shops is also being highlighted by the pandemic, said Converse, as the former has more resources to weather the pandemic while local businesses do not.
“The pandemic just accelerated all of those factors that small businesses were facing prior to this,” said Converse.
She said that locally owned businesses are vital to the community as they reinvest far more money into local organizations when compared to national corporations.
Many Cape businesses rose to the challenges imposed by the pandemic, said Converse, changing their business models to incorporate safety protocols and creating online storefronts to serve customers.
Many stores provide hand sanitizer and other protections alongside enhancing cleaning regimes to ensure that their services and products are safe for consumers.
Converse said that even with these changes, some businesses are still in at risk of having to close down.
“Whether it’s Black Friday, or the middle of December, it’s really important for people to recognize that where they spend their dollars matters. It matters to their friends, neighbors, family and to their community,” said Converse.
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