HP Innovation Journal Issue 15: Summer 2020 | Page 43

Acceleration of Change
Retail
OPENER PHOTOGRAPH BY CHAD HUNT; COLOR CORRECTION BY NATHAN KIPE
Little shops
are tackling big
changes with
creativity, local
knowledge, and
digital savvy.
BY DEBORAH LYNN BLUMBERG
SIGN ILLUSTRATION BY DIRTY BANDITS
AT ONE MORE PAGE BOOKS in Arlington, Virginia,
owner Eileen McGervey packs a puzzle and
chocolates in a box along with a selection of books
to complete an online order. She then scrawls
a handwritten note across the shipping box:
“We miss seeing your smiling face.”
McGervey is just one of millions of retail
small-business owners who had to completely
reimagine their business model as the COVID-19
crisis shut down Main Street from coast to
coast. In a Harris Poll of small-business owners,
43% said they had been forced to close at least
temporarily as a result of the pandemic, and
71% reported a decrease in revenue.
Now, as many open back up or navigate new
regulations, they’re doing so in a changed reality
with new challenges. To keep business moving
during this time, small-business owners are doing
what they do best: connecting personally with their
customers and responding quickly to their needs.
INNOVATION/ SUMMER 2020
41