#smallbizcurbside
In response to COVID 19 and the related devastating financial impact, we have community-sourced this map of small businesses primarily consisting of grocers, restaurants and other business types (such as toy merchants and nursery/garden) that offer no-contact, curbside and/or delivery sales. This map does not included business that require for customers to enter the business property to obtain purchased items. This map may be especially useful for those in age-risk age groups and immuno-compromised individuals. This list is populated by your input.
Please note that we are making our best effort to provide accurate information at the time and that inputs to this map are a community effort. Due to volume, we are unable to stay informed of changes or closures. We would appreciate any help you can provide in vetting and/or letting us know of changes.
A summary of the criteria:
1. Order and pay online, email or by phone
2. Items are placed in your trunk, curbside or delivered to you (no on-premises pickup)
3. No big box or chain stores
Send us recommendations: woodlandparkcooppc@gmail.com
or even better, send us the google maps marker!
Why are we doing this?
Right now – people are getting sick from covid-19, small businesses are struggling, big grocers are flourishing and no one is getting what they want from the store. Instead of finding a solution, many of us are staying up later to wait for the new time slots to open only to have someone do the shopping for us. This is a suggested solution to help.
Why can’t I just go to the store?
You can but we ask for you to consider this first – if 10 people work at a store at a time and 30 people are shopping at that store an hour, then (assuming an 8 hour shift) those 10 people can potentially be exposed to 240 people in a day. On top of that, consider the number of people those 240 people have been exposed to. (Not based on any actual data. Just math.)
Why no big-box stores?
Prior to the lock down, our purchases were spread out to support small and big businesses. Since the lock down, many people are now solely relying on big-box stores because they tend to have a greater variety of items at one location and their infrastructure was already set up to support online orders, payment and curbside delivery. That means that more people are trying to buy the same number of items from fewer stores leading to many inventory shortages (like baking yeast, flour and toilet paper!). Meanwhile, small businesses tend to have inventory but the lack of customers is increasing the chances they will have to fold soon.
How do you distinguish between big box and not big box?
We are doing our best to identify chain stores that are locally owned vs big box but we are working so quickly that sometimes some things will slip by us. Please let us know if we have made an error, so that we can correct it.
Why is putting items in the trunk preferred?
The employee has already touched the bags and can go wash hands readily (or are wearing gloves). If they place the item on the sidewalk, you have to grab the bags yourself with potential to contaminate your car and everything you touch up to the point of getting home. Curbside and at home delivery are also ok.
Why no 3rd party service providers?
While using a 3rd party service provider may be unavoidable at times, they are not technically helping to flatten the curve. Third party services go to the store for you and drop off groceries at your home. While you might not risk exposure, that still exposes everyone at the store to an additional person (your shopper). Given that it’s so difficult to get a time slot, consider how many additional people are at the stores now throughout the day. There is no way to know if store employees are immuno-compromised or have at-risk family members.
What about delivery and restaurants?
We have been adding them to the map if people suggest them but due to volume have not openly asked for these types of businesses. We recognize that there are other maps out there that offer such information and will focus this map on no-contact curbside and delivery only. The main issue we are seeing is that often restaurants require for customers to go into the restaurant to pick up and pay. Doing so exposes restaurant employees to every customer who walks through the door and vice versa. That is why many are currently classified as Unconfirmed on the map.
What does (Unconfirmed) mean?
We add all recommendations to the map if they can be reasonably vetted online. They will continue to be classified as “Unconfirmed” though until we are able to confirm the process with the business.
How can you help?
If you have a favorite small business, please call or email to ask if they can fill orders using this process. Any vetting done prior to reaching us is one less business we have to vet ourselves. Our goal is to provide the most accurate information as possible but obviously there are no guarantees.
Ask your friends and family for input even if they are not in Seattle. We are not setting location limits.
Help us vet businesses. We add all recommendations to the map if they can be reasonably vetted online. They will continue to be classified as “Unconfirmed” though until we are able to confirm the process with the business.
Share share share the post! https://woodlandparkcoop.com/2020/03/29/small-biz-curbside/
#savelivessavesmallbiz #getitcurbside #getbycurb
Woodland Park Cooperative School 