Ep 8. Retail Reality Check

The more than 344,000 people who work in retail stores across New York City earned over $16 billion in wages in 2019. When the pandemic shut down was enacted, foot traffic in New York's commercial corridors fell by 90%. By December 2020 it was still down 16% compared to in the previous year. While online commerce exploded in 2020, retail business owners fell further behind in paying their rent and bills. The impact was felt the most in places where people had less to spend. Those mom and pop businesses are determined to stay afloat, but they need help to stop from sinking.