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Local retail businesses adjusting to social distancing

Posted at 2:31 PM, Mar 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-25 15:31:49-04

If you are looking to buy your new favorite album on vinyl or a new outfit from your favorite clothing stores, odds are, you are being turned away at the door.

The neon sign that says open may be turned off, but local retail stores are looking for any way to make some sort of profit.

"What we have done is started to transition to listing all of our inventory that is currently in the shop on the website so people can shop that way," Threads manager Autumn Hensiek said.

Threads Thrift Shop and its next door neighbor Disc Go Round are just two of many retail stores that are trying to adapt to this normal in the wake of the COVID-19 spread.

Threads Thrift Shop, 4646 Everhart, opened as Corpus Christi's first resale shop to buy and sell clothing from the public. Disc Go Round is a shop that specializes in new or collectable records.

With their store operations shrinking, they have had to make changes to their staffing.

"It is not in the best safety of our employees to continue coming to work every day," Hensiek said.

Threads is offering products online or via curbside. Disc Go Round is trying to scrape by as well.

"We're having to turn away people unfortunately," Co-Owner Jason Dubose said.

This spread is unprecedented and local businesses are in uncharted territory when it comes to how to navigate their way from here. They are just taking these things one step at a time.

"We're really just doing the only thing we can do and that is taking this on a day by day basis," Hensiek said.

For now the stores, much like our restaurants, will look for community support to keep them going during what might be their darkest days.