Gardening centers in New York are open on the first reopening day in New York state - May 15, 2020 - but retail floral shops have to keep their doors closed. But that does not mean they aren’t open for business and slinging flowers from inside behind a closed door. According to Governor Cuomo, “Certain low-risk business and recreational activities --including Landscaping, Gardening, Tennis & Drive-In-Movie Theaters -- will reopen statewide on May 15th.”

A garden center is usually outside, but can have a retail component to it inside, like Sunny Gardens on Route 9D in Wappingers. A retail flower shop on Main Street, however, falls under retail, and shops on Main Street have been keeping their doors closed, but doing as much business as they can from the inside via curbside pickups and deliveries.

Since the beginning of the PAUSE order, retail shops have been able to have one person in the store to process orders and get shipping ready. Many shop owners in Beacon have been doing personal deliveries - sometimes same day!

Retail In Dutchess County As Of Reopening Day: Doors Closed, But Owners Serve As Personal Shoppers From Inside Via Phone

The physical shopping experience inside of retail shops remains on New York’s PAUSE plan, and when a region meets its metrics, Retail is in Phase 2. Dutchess County has not yet met its metrics. According to a press release sent by Dutchess County earlier this week, the County Executive Marcus Molinaro at a Town Hall delivered digitally on May 13, 2020, indicated that the reopening would come in time.

“The final two criteria the region must meet – 14 consecutive days of decline in new hospitalizations and 14 consecutive days of decline in deaths – will prove extremely difficult for the region, including Dutchess County, to meet. A single day with an increase over the previous day in either category resets the 14-day clock. The County Executive noted that without some adjustment to those metrics, the Mid-Hudson Region could be forced to wait much longer than originally anticipated to enter ‘Phase 1’ even though there is overall improvement in all categories.”

Shop owners of all kinds - from clothing to floral - have turned into personal shoppers for people. During this spring season, floral shops on Main Street have been busy - as busy as they can be in a shut-down. Says Courtney Sedor of Raven Rose: “Raven Rose is open per the mandate for curbside pickup and delivery Tuesday-Saturday 11am-3pm. Flexible pickup is possible as I live above the store so have accommodated customers for early morning pickups or evenings if they are still working.”

Flora Good Times’s owner Corinne Bryson has been taking questions and special requests via her shop’s Instagram, and even started a new virtual consulting service for people needing to know how to plant indoors or out and need a plant whisperer.

Ordering From Flower Shops On Main Street

Batt’s Florist and Sweets in the middle of Main Street has been delivering almost daily since before Easter, Raven Rose on Beacon’s east end (near the mountain) has been inside her shop making bouquets and arrangements for pickups, Mother’s Day, weddings, elopements, baby showers, and funerals. Flora Good Times has been hosting bouquet making video workshops, slinging a subscription flower service, and making deliveries.

“Can I Come In…?”

People are ready to shop. That much is clear. Target has been open, hardware stores are open, grocery stores, etc. The social aspect and visual experience of shopping is real, and people want it back. Corinne of Flora Good Times told A Little Beacon Blog: “I had a dozen or more people hell-bent on coming into the shop last weekend.”

Last weekend was Mother’s Day, and Flora Good Times had been heavily promoting Mother’s Day bouquets that people could come pick up outside of the store, or could arrange for delivery. Flora Good Times is a very small shop with somewhat of a greenhouse in the back, so the humidity factor inside is high, and social distancing inside would be difficult. “I had to keep the door locked and I put a sandwich board out saying ‘curbside pickup pre-orders only.’ I made people order from their cars, to be honest.”

Back on the east end of Main Street, at Raven Rose, owner Courtney has been inside of the shop during her regular open hours, “partially to keep my sanity,” she told A Little Beacon Blog, but with the door closed. “People can pick up, and I am inside making arrangements for delivery orders like weddings for a single bridal bouquet and boutonniere, and funerals. One woman pre-ordered a bouquet, picked it up, and as she was walking down the street with it in her arms, another woman asked where she got it. So, that woman called the store to ask if she could buy one too, and I said sure, and had it ready in 20 minutes.”

Flora Good Times’ Home page, letting visitors select the online retail side, or the brochure side of the site. Photo Credit: Flora Good Times — Flora Good Times’ Home page, letting visitors select the online retail side, or the brochure side of the site.
*Photo Credit: Flora Good Times*

Website Shopping - The Floral Shops Go Online For Pickup Orders

What has been one of the biggest trends in storefronts staying alive or keeping a pulse - is building a website that makes their inside inventory available online. Not all brick and mortars go down the path of offering a website, as it is a daunting task, but the pandemic called for desperate measures. Several of store owners took deep breaths and took the plunge into building a website in order to keep selling to their customers.

Both Flora Good Times and Raven Rose were florists that put energies into getting their inventory online quickly. Flora Good Times launched a second website via Square that just lists the items for sale right now. This includes seeds, planters, indoor plants, bouquets, home goods and plant care like this very necessary metal watering can.

Raven Rose has a large store with an open-air feeling. Her inventory goes well beyond flowers to include home goods, books, interior design items, and gardening items like these totes adorbs pruning sheers.

However you get your flower on this spring, you do have options in Beacon. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide to COVID-19 tips and retail discoveries.