Diary of a Shopkeeper, 28th June
I’m writing this on the morning of Sunday 28th June. In 24 hours Kirkness & Gorie will reopen for the first time since Saturday 21st March.
That was when I developed a cough, a shortness of breath, and “a fuzziness in my throat, like I’d swallowed a Brillo pad,” as I wrote in the first Diary of a Shopkeeper. At the time, I had no certainty that it was the virus, and I still don’t. But it was better to err on the side of safety, so all three of our shops immediately closed and all the staff were sent home.
They thought they were leaving for a week’s self-isolation, but a few days later the government announced that all non-essential shops should close till further notice. They’ve now been furloughed for over three months. It will be awfully good to see everybody again over the next few days.
Reopening safely involves a lot more work than closing did. All the shops have been deep cleaned – every single item taken off every shelf, and every item antiseptically wiped as well as every surface. Perspex screens have been installed at till points. Floor stickers indicate one-way systems and ‘Keep Your Distance’ messages – best not to state any specific distance, as 2 metres could turn into 1.5 or even 1 at any minute!
All this protective gear – and much more: gloves, paper towels, sanitiser, signage – has been sourced from helpful local suppliers. And it’s been paid for by the “10% Top Up” grant that the OIC announced last week, specifically to help businesses reopen safely.
The team at Kirkwall BID & Beyond – Kelly, Laura and Sally – have produced a detailed Guide to Reopening. It includes information covering everything from risk assessments to cleaning regimes to promotional ideas and a whole list of useful links. If you’re a business anywhere in Orkney and haven’t seen it yet, contact Kirkwall BID & Beyond via Facebook or their website.
Reopening is a process, not a single event. Many non-essential shops are unlocking their doors on Monday, but others will leave it a little longer – or a lot longer. And of course, tourist businesses are not allowed to open till July 15th at the earliest. Some places, depending on their layout and size, and what service they provide to which customers, might have to wait months. You can’t open if you’re going to lose money.
Many businesses that are opening tomorrow are still feeling uncertain. I know I am. Have we prepared thoroughly enough? Have we remembered everything? Most importantly, will there be any customers? I’m sure there will be at least a few, and I’m sure they’ll be patient as we discover together what this “new normal” is actually like.
Reopening isn’t something that happens at 10am on a Monday morning and that’s it. It’s a process, it will take a long time. It’s not just non-essential shops that are opening, to supplement the essential ones that have been open all along. It’s peoples’ front doors that are opening. It’s car doors. Folk will be coming downtown for optional purchases for the first time in months. The whole town is opening, gradually, slowly, and – we hope – safely.
So, although Monday 29th feels like a very important day right now, the survival of our shop, and of the economy as a whole, doesn’t depend on it entirely. It’s about the weeks and months ahead, and the extent to which Orkney as a whole can open up.
This diary appeared in The Orcadian on 2nd July. Other diaries will appear weekly. I am posting them in this blog a few days after each newspaper appearance, with added illustrations., and occasional small corrections or additions.