Page 15 - BusinessWest August 3, 2020

Sharon Cohen says she used online outreach and a sales website to stay afloat during the shutdown.
pers are saying, ‘I just wanted to shop with some- body locally.’ We’re hearing a lot of that. I think that’s awesome.”
After Thornes was shut down in mid-March, Cohen launched a website so customers could still purchase her shoes, and, like Clifford, she
delivered to peoples’ homes. Every Friday afternoon, she used Facebook Live to talk about shoes in stock and offer commentary on trends and new styles.
“I’d pick them off the displays on the wall and talk about them. Customers would text and ask questions about cost or size,” she said, noting that she will likely continue that prac- tice. “We tried new, inventive ways to meet the customers.”
In the store, she tries to strike a balance between customer needs and safety; for exam- ple, when customers try on a pair of shoes, if they are leather and cannot be sanitized, the shoes are put in quarantine for 24 hours, as per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
Thornes management has instituted many new protocols and equipment, including iWave ionizing air filters that heighten air qual- ity, foggers that sanitize the building nightly, and door monitors at each of the two open entrances to ensure that people entering wear masks and sanitize their hands. The complex also installed hands-free door openers on bathroom doors.
“Thornes has done a lot to prepare for our opening, and we continue to stay educated
and follow safety protocols,” said Richard Mad- owitz, the marketplace’s co-president. “We are receiving consistent positive feedback from shop- pers on the cleanliness of the building and their comfort. We are providing a safe environment.”
All shared tables and chairs on the building’s second and third floors have been removed, and directional arrows on the floors separate traffic and promote social distancing.
“Signage is everywhere,” Madowitz stressed. “Each store is managing its state-mandated capacity count, and Thornes itself is managing the state-mandated capacity counts for its com- mon spaces without shops.”
Mask compliance is high, at 99%, he noted, adding that “masks are not required for those with medical conditions that prevent them from
“I make sure people who come into the store feel safe. I’m doing what I feel is right by my customers and staff. That’s my focus.”
wearing one.”
Despite what he calls a “vocal minority” mak-
ing waves nationally about mask wearing, Clif- ford said his customers have been respectful of the mandate.
“We’re dealing with people who have health issues, and I’d say the average customer spending big amounts is over 50, getting supplements, tak- ing to our expert staff. We want them to feel safe,” he told BusinessWest. “For those folks who don’t want to wear masks, even for legitimate reasons, we still have pickup and curbside. But I make sure people who come into the store feel safe. I’m doing what I feel is right by my customers and staff. That’s my focus.”
Retail
Continued on page 43
Mercy Medical Center Welcomes
Nada M. Kawar, M.D.
Gynecologic Oncology and Breast Surgery
Nada M. Kawar, M.D., board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology has joined the Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group at Mercy Medical Center as a Gynecologic Oncologist and Breast Surgeon.
Dr. Kawar’s clinical interests include:
• Minimally invasive procedures (including da Vinci® robotic surgery) for patients with gynecologic malignancies and other complex benign gynecologic conditions.
• Radical procedures for treatment of gynecologic malignancies.
• Risk-reducing surgery in patients with familial susceptibility for breast, ovarian
and endometrial cancer.
• Oncoplastic breast surgery.
Dr. Kawar looks forward to serving the Greater Springfield community and is accepting new patients.
Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology
271 Carew Street • Springfield, MA • 413-452-6600 • TrinityHealthOfNE.org
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