How North Bay retailers have weathered the pandemic

2 years later: COVID’s impact on the North Bay economy

Sonoma and Solano counties: Different COVID approaches but similar outcomes

Sonoma has been among the California counties with the most proactive public health measures in the past two years, while Solano County has resisted measures.

How has each industry been faring?

Beyond the human toll, the pandemic, public policy responses to it and consumer reactions have had impacts on employers that vary by industry. We talked to players in several sectors, and here’s what they told us.

Voices of local business

Here are the personal stories of how North Bay leaders have steered their organizations through the past two years. What has changed? What were their worst fears, and how did they face them?

“When the shutdowns happened, we thought: ‘Oh my God, how are we going to survive?’” said Steve Elliott, who owns Fundemonium toy store in Rohnert Park, recalling what he thought in March 2020 when the pandemic locked his doors.

In a business in which touching product is vital, he let social media do the walking and talking by “posting tons of photos on Facebook” and declaring that the store ships.

He also used his full-window storefront to showcase the most visual toys up front, from its slot-car racing track to its DIY hobby models to assemble.

The store saw a sales drop from March to July in 2020 but “came roaring back.” What the toy store owner discovered is that some people were more dedicated than ever to bring joy into their lives — no matter how troubled and concerned they were.

Bookstores also leaned away from dependence on brick-and-mortar sales. Not known for their significant profit margins anyway, bookstore owners got creative . Many allowed their customers to call in and either delivered their orders personally or set them outside in safe pickup locations.

Elaine Petrocelli, who owns Book Passage in Corte Madera, pondered how to stage the in-person events her shop is known for.

“I wrote a letter to the customers thanking them. I truly did not know what was going to happen,” she said.

But given Petrocelli’s flair for the creative, she placed the “Conversations with the Authors” in the virtual world. Though she admitted to not being back to pre-pandemic revenue levels, the bookstore has remained “careful with expenses” and turned the page on the next chapter of the crisis.

2 years later: COVID’s impact on the North Bay economy

Sonoma and Solano counties: Different COVID approaches but similar outcomes

Sonoma has been among the California counties with the most proactive public health measures in the past two years, while Solano County has resisted measures.

How has each industry been faring?

Beyond the human toll, the pandemic, public policy responses to it and consumer reactions have had impacts on employers that vary by industry. We talked to players in several sectors, and here’s what they told us.

Voices of local business

Here are the personal stories of how North Bay leaders have steered their organizations through the past two years. What has changed? What were their worst fears, and how did they face them?

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