Georgia's Reopening Has Been 'A Disaster' For Some Retailers Desperate For Revenue

[Formerly Once-Ler]

https://www.bisnow.com/atlanta/news/retail/for-georgia-restaurants-and-retailers-its-not-landlords-that-cause-the-pressure-104166

The first of 40 U.S. Bad Axe Throwing venues to reopen since widespread shelter-in-place orders were issued across the country was in Atlanta on Friday. Bad Axe CEO Mario Zelaya expected business to be bad, maybe 10% of the hundreds of customers he would expect to see throw axes and drink beer on a typical weekend. “That was the worst-case scenario, especially with all the marketing we did,” Zelaya said. “The reopening weekend was a disaster. We had two customers all weekend."

more at link.

I'm gonna go ahead and apologize to the inevitable moron who sees this post as indicating my cheering the demise of capitalism, rather than an indication that I think customers are still scared.

I'm sorry you think that.

[skeeter]

I’m not going to a bar where people drink and throw axes virus or not.

[roamer_1]

I’m not going to a bar where people drink and throw axes virus or not.

So not a North Woods boy then... 

Heck, that's about 9/10ths of what a rondy's all about... 

[massadvj]

Consumers deciding not to go is one thing.  Government forcing them to shut down is another.  At least these businesses will have a fighting chance to figure out the things they will have to do to increase customer confidence in their operations. 

[Hoodat]

Georgia's Reopening Has Been 'A Disaster' For Some Retailers Desperate For Revenue

Uh, no.  It's the shutdown that has been the disaster.  And it will take many many months to recover from it.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Uh, no.  It's the shutdown that has been the disaster.  And it will take many many months to recover from it.

How good would you say the re-opening was @Hoodat ?
Would you say the re-opening has been

• strongly incredible
• better than expected
• worse then expected
• "The reopening weekend was a disaster." - CEO of Bad Axe

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Consumers deciding not to go is one thing.  Government forcing them to shut down is another.  At least these businesses will have a fighting chance to figure out the things they will have to do to increase customer confidence in their operations.

This is a story about re-opened Georgia.  They were shutdown, but I'm not looking to argue about how fair it was after the fact, nor speculate who is responsible...Republican President Donald Trump, or Republican Governor Brian Kemp.

[Hoodat]

How good would you say the re-opening was @Hoodat ?
Would you say the re-opening has been

• strongly incredible
• better than expected
• worse then expected
• "The reopening weekend was a disaster." - CEO of Bad Axe

I would say it was necessary.  Not sure what the Bad Axe CEO was expecting.  When the winds calm after a tornado hits, or when the waters recede after a flood, do you expect businesses to go back to normal on the first day?

[Cyber Liberty]

It seems a bit silly to try to extrapolate the strength of returning markets of an entire Nation of 350 Million people based upon the weekend reopening of some bars.  Insufficient data.

[roamer_1]

It seems a bit silly to try to extrapolate the strength of returning markets of an entire Nation of 350 Million people based upon the weekend reopening of some bars.  Insufficient data.

And I am pretty sure they looked high and low for a way to show it a failure. I am pretty dang sure the good people of GA  are damn happy to see things going back to something approaching normal.

[Smokin Joe]

It seems a bit silly to try to extrapolate the strength of returning markets of an entire Nation of 350 Million people based upon the weekend reopening of some bars.  Insufficient data.

Doggone it, stop that.
The Democrats have worked hard for this economic disaster, they're gonna blame it on Trump, and everything they can do will be done to prolong it, the outbreak, and anything bad between now and November. 

After that, they'll shake the dust off the success stories and act as if they deserve the credit, provided they can get elected.

[Smokin Joe]

And I am pretty sure they looked high and low for a way to show it a failure. I am pretty dang sure the good people of GA  are damn happy to see things going back to something approaching normal.

I was out today buying some stuff, the shelves were pretty full, limits were off, and aside from about half of the folks wearing masks, everything seemed pretty normal.

[roamer_1]

I was out today buying some stuff, the shelves were pretty full, limits were off, and aside from about half of the folks wearing masks, everything seemed pretty normal.

Me too, only just to the ranch store (Murdochs). Weren't anybody wearing masks. Shook some hands, and got a hug from a gal who works there... She is sparkin on me a bit...

Pretty much normal, just like it has been all along. Other than town folks, the only folks I seen in masks are frail and elderly and likely to be wearin masks in flu season anyhow.

Part of that is grandma staying home out on the farm, I am sure... But then they do anyhow. 

[Smokin Joe]

Me too, only just to the ranch store (Murdochs). Weren't anybody wearing masks. Shook some hands, and got a hug from a gal who works there... She is sparkin on me a bit...

Pretty much normal, just like it has been all along. Other than town folks, the only folks I seen in masks are frail and elderly and likely to be wearin masks in flu season anyhow.

Part of that is grandma staying home out on the farm, I am sure... But then they do anyhow. 

Well, I was in town, and the one thing I noticed is that that sense of panic was pretty much gone. Like someone had been singing to the herd, if you catch my drift.

[roamer_1]

Well, I was in town, and the one thing I noticed is that that sense of panic was pretty much gone. Like someone had been singing to the herd, if you catch my drift.

I think folks around here are pretty sure it's bullcrap - Always did in the country anyhow, but even the townies are paying it less mind. I think it will go back to normal pretty quick here, except I bet the governor ain't gonna get reelected. Maybe not anybody getting reelected - Folks are pretty pissed, which I am happy to see.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

I would say it was necessary.  Not sure what the Bad Axe CEO was expecting.

@Hoodat It says in the very short excerpt I posted "Bad Axe CEO Mario Zelaya expected business to be bad, maybe 10% of the hundreds of customers he would expect to see throw axes and drink beer on a typical weekend." That would be at least 20 people.

When the winds calm after a tornado hits, or when the waters recede after a flood, do you expect businesses to go back to normal on the first day?

Of course not because there is damage.  All that happened in Georgia is they turned off the lights for 6 weeks and got maybe less than 1% their normal business...not just the first day.  The whole weekend of Friday April 24th - Sunday April 27th
https://whatnowatlanta.com/bad-axe-throwing-to-reopen-friday-for-quarantine-anger-and-stress-relief/
https://whatnowatlanta.com/bad-axe-throwings-reopening-a-complete-failure-says-ceo-with-only-two-customers-all-weekend/

[Smokin Joe]

I think folks around here are pretty sure it's bullcrap - Always did in the country anyhow, but even the townies are paying it less mind. I think it will go back to normal pretty quick here, except I bet the governor ain't gonna get reelected. Maybe not anybody getting reelected - Folks are pretty pissed, which I am happy to see.

Well, with the oil patch shutting down (I  have never seen so much equipment in company yards), folks haven't been out so much, most rural folks have staying stocked up for a month or so pretty much hardwired in, and even the ones who moved into town keep up the practice. Everyone still scratching their heads at the TP shortage, but overall, most of the State seems to be doing pretty well. 33353 tested, 1191 positive, 517 recovered, 25 deaths (16 confirmed COVID-19, 2 with but not of COVID-19, 7 pending--1 each in the 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 age groups, 7 in the 70-79, and 15 in the 80+ age group.)

Dept of health has been real good with their website, even adding "active cases" to their graph after I (and who knows how many others) suggested it.

I actually think our governor is going to come out of this one okay. The schools were flogged up to speed on the online thing pretty quickly, and since that is by far the most efficient pathogen exchange platform in the State, they were shut down coming off their spring break. We'll see how many kids move up a grade in the fall.

But here, the bottom line is that people generally haven't gotten sick, at least except around Bismarck, Fargo, and Grand Forks, and Cass County (Fargo) accounts for half the cases in the State and three out of four deaths. The Mayor of Fargo is a Democrat...which may or may not be relevant.

[LegalAmerican]

It seems a bit silly to try to extrapolate the strength of returning markets of an entire Nation of 350 Million people based upon the weekend reopening of some bars.  Insufficient data.

Georgia, no less! 

 

[Smokin Joe]

They could always look at the bright side, from the customer viewpoint. The wait time for a drink has been reduced significantly. You'd think that would bring people in. Scrounge up a few vehicles from relatives and friends and park them in the lot, it'll help bring a few more in.

[LegalAmerican]

I’m not going to a bar where people drink and throw axes virus or not.

Atlanta, Georgia?  One of their clerks stole my credit card there.  Of course I called CC real quick to stop any charges. She had the audacity to say, she didn't have it. In the course of purchasing, it was NOT returned to me. As an accounting person, good with details and memory, I KNEW where it was. I hardly charge anything, but did not want to carry cash in that town, being on a convention.

 

[Hoodat]

Crowds gather to buy new Air Jordans in Atlanta after lockdown lifted

By Jackie Salo     |     May 3, 2020     |     10:19am

An Atlanta mall saw massive crowds gather Saturday to buy the new Air Jordan sneakers after lockdown restrictions were lifted, according to a report.

Shoppers packed close to form lines that wrapped outside Greenbriar Mall on Saturday to get their hands on the new Air Jordan 5 “Fire Red” sneakers, news station 11Alive reported.

Video posted to social media showed people waiting to get into the mall and then again outside of the shoe store Jimmy Jazz.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/03/crowds-gather-to-buy-new-air-jordan-sneakers-in-atlanta-after-lockdown-lifted/

https://twitter.com/i/status/1256631520355377153

[roamer_1]

I actually think our governor is going to come out of this one okay. The schools were flogged up to speed on the online thing pretty quickly, and since that is by far the most efficient pathogen exchange platform in the State, they were shut down coming off their spring break. We'll see how many kids move up a grade in the fall.

But here, the bottom line is that people generally haven't gotten sick, at least except around Bismarck, Fargo, and Grand Forks, and Cass County (Fargo) accounts for half the cases in the State and three out of four deaths. The Mayor of Fargo is a Democrat...which may or may not be relevant.

Like NoDak, and most of the Rocky Mountain West, we hardly got hit at all either... Billings, Butte/Bozeman, Great Falls, Missoula, and here in the Flathead all took it some, with the big towns getting the lion's share. We're third or fourth on the list, had something like 50 cases and two deaths.

Sure as heck not enough to warrant shutting the whole thing down. The Rockies are more toward libertarian than anywhere else, and folks hit 'oh hell no' pretty quick with all the freedoms so easily curtailed. I dunno how government is gonna fare over this... And it could easy enough farewell.
We will see. Pretty crazy wake up call, right in an election year.

[Smokin Joe]

Like NoDak, and most of the Rocky Mountain West, we hardly got hit at all either... Billings, Butte/Bozeman, Great Falls, Missoula, and here in the Flathead all took it some, with the big towns getting the lion's share. We're third or fourth on the list, had something like 50 cases and two deaths.

Sure as heck not enough to warrant shutting the whole thing down. The Rockies are more toward libertarian than anywhere else, and folks hit 'oh hell no' pretty quick with all the freedoms so easily curtailed. I dunno how government is gonna fare over this... And it could easy enough farewell.
We will see. Pretty crazy wake up call, right in an election year.

Yeah, the whole west side of the state has had relatively few deaths, here, (drawing the line where politics tends to, which takes in the western third and the Oil producing counties. Our county has had no deaths and 10 of the 11 cases have recovered so far. I have seen everything from one full tyvek suit and respirator (I don't know, but if I was high risk or say, had leukemia and was still getting chemo, I'd likely do the same If I had to go out) to maybe as many as half the people out with masks and/or gloves on, but it's pretty common to see people wearing nothing special at all. Folks do keep their distance or look away when passing close like as not to avoid breathing the same air you're exhaling, but I can get that with a clove of garlic and a good chunk of onion...

And folks here have been following it, here and elsewhere, and to some extent, wondering why NY thinks they need to make rules for us when they've made such a mess there.

Still seeing Trump 2020 flags flying and hats here, so I don't think this is going to have much effect. People have pulled through this like any bad winter, drought, whatever, just another force of nature down the pike (whether nature had anything much to do with the bug or not), to be endured, survived, and then to pick up and get back to it.

[LegalAmerican]

They could always look at the bright side, from the customer viewpoint. The wait time for a drink has been reduced significantly. You'd think that would bring people in. Scrounge up a few vehicles from relatives and friends and park them in the lot, it'll help bring a few more in.

Yes, excellent idea!  high five !  .   Like they "seed" the tip jar. 

[Smokin Joe]

Yes, excellent idea!  high five !  .   Like they "seed" the tip jar.

EggsZackly!