Much of Oregon’s economy has come to a sudden halt in response to the coronavirus pandemic. New unemployment claims in the state surged this week by almost 3,200 percent.
Efforts at social distancing to slow the spread of the virus mean empty and shuttered restaurants and retail outlets across the Portland metro area -- and beyond. How can these businesses survive? Some of them surely won’t. But there are ways to help keep local shops up and running during this crisis.
Here are a few:
Order food for delivery
You’ve probably already thought of this -- and done it.
Good, because the food industry is suffering. Gov. Kate Brown’s emergency orders to promote social distancing means you can’t sit down at restaurants and coffee shops right now, cutting the heart out of such businesses.
But eateries can still offer takeout and delivery.
Some places have decided to shut down completely for the time being, but others are trying to keep their doors open with curb-side pickup and new delivery options, such as daily specials.
The Oregonian/OregonLive has created -- and is continuously updating -- a list of food businesses that offer takeout and/or delivery during this public-health crisis.
Don’t just order food online
You’re cooped up at home. You’re going to need books. (And, if you have kids, they’re going to need books too). Area bookstores recognize this need and are making it easy to order books online or over the phone.
A Children’s Place (1423 N.E. Fremont St., 503-284-8294), for example, is offering curbside pick-up orders, delivery by mail and, within a two-mile radius of the store, staff delivery. You can call to get book recommendations and place orders.
Annie Bloom’s Books (7834 S.W. Capitol Highway, 503-246-0053) provides free shipping on orders of $50 or more. They’re also doing curbside pick-up and staff delivery of orders to customers within “roughly a two-mile radius” of its store.
And don’t bypass the iconic Powell’s Books. It’s Portland’s independent-book behemoth, but it’s struggling as well. All of its stores are closed and are expected to remain so for at least eight weeks. The “vast majority” of its employees have been laid off. But the company’s 2-million-plus books are still for sale -- over the internet. And Powell’s is offering free shipping on orders of $25 or more.
(You can donate to a “Coronavirus Worker Relief Fund” set up by the union that represents Powell’s Books employees.)
Portland is a book-lover’s town, so the stores mentioned here are just examples. Check out our post from earlier this week that lists other local bookstores and how they’re handling business during the public-health crisis.
To be sure, books -- and streaming services like Netflix -- will help us get through homebound isolation. But you’ll want other diversions as well, such as board games and puzzles.
Amazon isn’t the only place to go. The Portland area has a variety of specialty game shops with experts on staff.
Guardian Games (345 S.E. Taylor St., 503-238-4000) calls itself “Nerdopolis” and boasts 10,000 square feet of games ranging from Dungeons & Dragons to Warhammer 40,000 to Magic: The Gathering. The store has canceled its in-store gaming events and it’s not set up for online sales, but it is still open for people to swing by and pick up a game -- and you can call ahead to get recommendations.
Other places to get your board-game fix is The Portland Game Store (922 North Killingsworth Street, 503-289-6373) and Things From Another World (multiple locations, 800-862-0052). They both sell games and, in TFAW’s case, comics and toys through their websites.
Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts has closed its retail store for now, but they’re still selling their games, toys, puzzles and other items over the phone and through their website. Call 503-221-0306 between noon and 4 p.m. and 971-238-3449 for afterhours orders.
Again, these are just a few examples. Check in on your local neighborhood toy or game shop.
Don’t limit yourself to food and entertainment shopping. Have a favorite boutique or card shop in your neighborhood that you like to pop into? See if they sell their wares through a website. If not, give them a call -- maybe a sale over the phone will be possible. Every little bit helps.
Pay now, use later
You can buy gift cards for many local retail businesses -- and put them in a drawer until the world gets back to something resembling normal. This can range from clothes shops to shoe stores to nail outlets and hairstyle places.
You can even plan for the day when you will feel comfortable moving freely about not just your city but the entire state again. Like the idea of spending a weekend or longer in Bend or at the Oregon coast? Go ahead and book a hotel room for late summer or the fall.
-- Douglas Perry
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