COVID-19 and a Business That Persists
In a time where stability is uncertain, here the story of how one of Reno’s most iconic businesses has survived.
Francesca Martinez and her store Bad Apple Vntg, a curated thrift/vintage store, are just one of the many local businesses that were hit hard during the closure this past March. She, like many other business owners, nevertheless has persisted through the hardships that COVID-19 has created for local businesses.
Bad Apple was forced to shut down in March because of the pandemic that has still been running rampant around the United States. Because of the shutdown, though, Martinez was put into a predicament where she had to put more into her website than ever before. The site was never a focus for her because it took more energy than it was worth.
But with the main location being closed, the website was the only option she had to make any profits from her brand. The time during the closure was tough because her sales could never reach what they would hit the levels they were at during normal business days.
“I’d get one [order]. On a good day, three.”
An important part of her shop is the atmosphere that it creates and with everything being online she felt like a big part of her store was missing.
But Renoites really stuck out for the small businesses Martinez believes. She went on to explain how other businesses such as the Holland Project did events like selling tote bags, where 50% of the proceeds would go to select businesses. She felt that the Reno population were incredibly supportive during the closure.
“We should have stayed closed longer.”
Bad Apple opened a few months later than other businesses. She went on to say how she felt some of the other businesses were a little too eager to reopen and she wanted to make sure everything was safe for her customers.
Martinez opened her shop back up on July 24 with many precautions having the customers safety as a priority. At first, she felt that gloves and masks were the most important thing she could provide. It was quickly realized that gloves were not a cost-efficient way to protect her customers so she opted for hand sanitizer instead noting that she though other groups would need gloves more than she would.
When asked if she though a second wave or closure is a fear at all, she responded that it really is not. She feels that if they are going to close again, they better have plans for businesses to stay afloat.
“If you are gonna shut us all down then you better have some sort of way to help out… if there isn’t help there’s gonna be a revolt.”
Martinez is confident that her business will survive through all of this and has adapted to ensure that it will. One poignant thing she stated towards the end of the interview was, “I’m oddly optimistic.” Martinez like many other business owners have had to adapt to survive through this new landscape COVID-19 has created for local owned businesses.
