Most local businesses are suffering these days, and many will close permanently as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns. These businesses are run by your friends and neighbours, and their loss would change Greater Victoria. We have asked local business people to describe what they are facing.
A commentary by the owner of Frontrunners.
My wife, Joan, and I had planned to be away until the end of March, but we packed up the car and the dog to high tail it back in the second week of March as things were building with the virus.
Our plan was to drive through Washington state without stopping because of the severity of the virus there. There is no place like home, I kept thinking as we drove north, hoping to get through the border and make a 9 p.m. sailing.
Being indoors self-contained for two weeks for many of us was a new experience. Thank you to the friends many of us relied on to drop off groceries. We all have to remember this is a marathon and not a sprint.
It was time to work with my business partner, Nick Walker, and New Balance manager Glenn Cathrow to rewrite the business plan, thinking outside the shoe box.
Looking at a financial statement on a monthly basis brought on a whole new stress level, in dealing with leases of more than $30,000 a month. The hardest situation was all the staffing we wouldn’t be able to keep at the four stores.
Daily, the resources would change and shift so we could be reasonably sure some relief was being provided federally.
Staying open was not the priority, but safety was. We did realize having someone at the store to answer calls, answer questions at the door and offer curbside pickup and delivery was the new way to operate. Adding virtual fitting is coming soon.
Luckily, we had product online and with the use of Shopify, customers responded. The Think Local Victoria group became very active in getting together with the mayor, the Chamber of Commerce and other groups to activate some ideas to assist small businesses, such as selling gift certificates.
It was a shock seeing downtown so shut down. It was unreal to imagine our city had lost its brand as a tourist mecca.
Our New Balance store on Government Street welcomes visitors all spring and summer off cruise ships. The impact on tourism is huge, and the recovery will be a long road.
Meetings with suppliers were crucial in understanding how the supply chain would or could work.
Obviously, shipments would be not coming in the same way, and product offerings would not necessarily be on schedule. Invoicing would have to be adjusted.
New Balance Canada will suggest dates for re-opening nationally, but one has to remember that it has been far better here than in Ontario and Quebec, and we have a lot of work to do in figuring how retail can be carried out when things gently, and partially, open.
Instead of semi-retired, my new job description is delivery guy. Some days, this could be by bike, but usually by car.
The quiet roadways have been appreciated in getting around and dropping off products to customers. It is a strange reversal, as I used to cover more ground running than any other mode.
We hope to keep as many staff as we can engaged as we get busier. We miss the social aspects of our business, the run groups, the events, promoting a healthy, walking, running lifestyle.
Half my time is spent on community work and it has been challenging staying engaged with projects, too.
As chair of the Terry Fox Centre, made up of volunteers who oversee the artifacts from the Marathon of Hope, we put together exhibits telling Terry’s story. We had planned an exhibit this summer at the Pacific National Exhibition, but it is not looking hopeful for 2020.
If not for running, many of us could and would not be able to handle the challenges and stresses of life. It has offered an outlet. It has been our mediation, our coffee, so to speak, in getting ready for the day.
Runners have been inspired by the likes of Terry Fox, who 40 years ago this year selflessly ran a marathon a day for 143 days. As Terry brought the country together, I know that we will get to this finish line stronger together, too.
