Maine retailers' advice for holiday shopping: Start early, be patient

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Photo / Maureen Milliken Maine came out on top as the best place for families to spend the holidays, while Hawaii was left last.

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By Maureen Milliken

Yes, stores can refuse service to customers who won't wear a mask.
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The advice Maine retailers have for shoppers as the holiday shopping season approaches is: plan your shopping, start early, be patient and learn to get comfortable outdoors.

A panel of retailers at a Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce webinar Wednesday said shoppers should prepare for a different kind of retail season, including changing shopping traditions and starting to shop as early as possible. Earlier this week, the Portland City Council agreed to allow outdoor shopping and dining to continue until Jan. 4.

"In the old days, we wanted to get as many people in the store at one time as we could, and that’s not the case now," said John Reny, president of Renys department stores, a member of the KV chamber panel. He said there's a big concern at the chain's 17 stores.

"We want to spread them out more. When it gets closer to Christmas and we start getting crowds, are we going to start lining people up outside again?"

Other panelists were Curtis Picard, CEO of the Retail Association of Maine, and Elizabeth Hebert, manager of the Augusta Day's Jewelry store. The panel was the second of the chamber's "Community Conversations about COVID-19" series and was moderated by chamber CEO Katie Doherty.

On top of physical distancing limits in stores, the panel discussed the fact returns have to be held 24 hours before they can be put back out for shoppers, and supply chain slowdowns.

"We need to spread the season out," Picard said. "Shop now, don’t wait for November. He said the more spread-out the season is, the fewer problems there will be."

But he also stressed shopping local, instead of from national online sources. Both Renys and Day's are Maine family-owned businesses.

"Not all your needs going to be met by shopping online," Picard said. "It's critically important to support Maine-based retail stores. They've been for you through this pandemic, and we want them to be there through the coming years."

Servers wearing masks clean tables as customes eat at a sidewalk eating area in portland next to a brick building

Photo / Renee Cordes

Portland has extended outdoor dining and retail to Jan. 4; businesses must apply for a permit, but fees are waived.

Winter outdoor options

Portland streets that have been closed since mid-summer for outdoor dining and shopping will reopen Nov. 1. But the city council Monday agreed to allow retailers and restaurants to operate outside on private property, and public parking lanes and sidewalks. Businesses must get a permit, but won't have to pay a fee.

City Manager Jon Jennings said the city is committed to doing what it can to help businesses that have been hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. "But we also had to come up with a plan that ensured any wintertime outdoor business operations are conducted safely, and in accordance with all public health standards," he said. The plans also have to allow for snow and ice removal by city crews.

Picard said he's working with the state to increase the five people (including staff) per 1,000 square feet capacity limit. "If one family comes in, some stores are over the limit," he said. In lieu of that, he asks consumers to put themselves in the place of the retailers, or other customers who may have to wait outside in the cold and snow. The outdoor capacity limit is 100.

Picard said retailers are encouraged to find ways to do business outside, which expands the amount of customers they can have. "But that's very weather-dependent and not every retailer is able to do it.

"My advice to consumers is to try to make some new traditions, be as conscious as possible," he said.

A zoom screen grab with two women and two men

Image / Zoom screen capture

A panel of retailers discussed the upcoming winter season at a Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce webinar Wednesday. Clockwise from top left is Katie Doherty, CEO of the chamber; Elizabeth Hebert, manager of the Augusta Day's Jewelers; Curtis Picard, CEO of the Maine Retailers Association; and John Reny, president of Reny's department stores.

Prepared for the worst

Both Reny and Hebert said they're hiring for the shopping season, and are even having trouble filling positions.

They also said that their stores have upped online options and made other changes to adhere to guidelines and help shoppers, and they're prepared if there's a coronavirus surge and there's another shutdown.

"It's totally different than when we shut down in March," Reny said. "We didn’t know, we had no idea, I think now we have a real good handle on things and how do it safely."

Hebert said that jewelry stores tend to have smaller crowds, but Day's is also looking for ways to keep crowding down. She said that aside from shopping early, and spreading out shopping times, "have an idea what you're looking for, shop the website first."

The Day's website has a "see it in the store" option, where people can pick out something online to look at more closely in the store, and she said that people should take advantage of it.

Picard said the possibility of another shutdown "is a question that keeps me up at nights."

He said the fact schools are open, but there hasn't been a big virus surge, is encouraging. "Maine is doing things the right way as much as possible. It's not easy, but we have to stay the course."

If there's a large resurgence, retail will continue serve customers "as best we can," he said. Stores, with eight months of experience, "have the ability to be creative," and a shutdown might be more of a hybrid, rather than a full shutdown.

"The upside is we’ve all learned a lot through this process," Picard said.

Stores can refuse service to those who won't wear a mask

Renys department stores, when they reopened in June after being shut down since March, required customers in all of its 17 stores to wear face coverings. Staff does, too, as required by state executive order. Renys stores all have greeters, who hand customers who don't have a mask one to use. If a customer won't wear one, Renys offers curbside service instead.

That strategy now has the power of law behind it.

While state law requires customers in stores of 50,000 square feet or more to wear masks, it also requires wearing face coverings where physical distancing is not possible, which is most indoor public spaces.

According to Maine.gov Winter Capacity reopening FAQs, by state executive order, a person not wearing a required face covering who wants to enter an establishment shall first be informed of the face covering requirements and given a chance to comply by putting on either a cloth face covering or plastic face shield. If that person continues to refuse, and asserts a medical condition as the reason for the refusal, the operator of the establishment may offer alternative means of service at curbside or delivery, if available, as an accommodation, but may not permit the person to enter without a face covering.

The establishment operator shall not ask for the nature of the medical condition, or ask for proof. The establishment is also not liable if it asks someone who refuses a mask on medical grounds to leave, as the business offered an accommodation, such as offering a mask or face shield, or suggested take-out or other forms of service.

Law enforcement may help employees if a customer becomes belligerent regarding required masks, because the executive order on required face coverings has the force of law.

Curtis Picard, CEO of the Retail Association of Maine, said he gives Renys credit from requiring masks from the start.

"Practice patience, practice kindness, but certainly wear your mask as well, whether you agree with it not is immaterial," Picard said. "It's what we need for businesses to stay open."