A Park Slope wine shop made changes to curb the spread of COVID-19 and is happy to be open and serving the community.
Good Wine has always been more than a wine store, but also serves as a community space.
"We had a couch in the front, with crayons and coloring books so that children could relax while their parents shop. There was a lot of exchange, then all gone,” says Heather Johnston, owner of Good Wine.
The 5th Avenue shop implemented changes at the start of the pandemic to keep customers safe.
"Masks, gloves, or hand sanitizer, one customer at a time and encouraging online sales for pickup as much as possible,” says Johnston.
Customers typically like to browse all the wines, but Johnston says that's no longer an option.
"There have been people who have walked out because we say no browsing and I’m sorry to lose that customer, but I’m absolutely dedicated to keeping us all safe,” says Johnston.
May and June is typically the season for graduation and wedding purchases, but that has shifted as well.
"We're selling a lot of value wines, people are buying differently. There's a lot of uncertainty and no one likes uncertainty,” says Johnston.
Staff has also been accommodated during this time.
"Paying them their full shift hours even though we are open shorter, and I buy them dinner from local restaurants every day to keep the money flowing; and I'm so grateful that they are willing to come to work in uncertain circumstances,” says Johnston.
One change the store plans to keep is its online store, which has seen a lot of growth during this crisis.
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