KILLEEN, TX — Central Texas businesses are preparing for retail-to-go services to start Friday, April 24, but some will still keep their doors closed.
Della Ross spent decades building a business unlike others.
"A lot of the items are one-of-a-kind. They're antiques," said Ross.
When retail-to-go begins in Texas, Ross says The Porcelain Palace in Killeen won't be able to reopen under current restrictions because it doesn't allow customers to enter her store.
"My business isn't exactly retail-to-go. They come in. They linger. They've gotta look at what they want. Do I want this picture to go with this chair? We don't have a website where we say pick it up at the door," she said.
The Killeen Chamber of Commerce hopes all business owners no matter their challenges will find a way to participate in retail-to-go.
"We've known for some time that retailers need to get creative with digital marketing," said Chamber President John Crutchfield.
Crutchfield is concerned about the Killeen mall and knows retail-to-go isn't the answer for every business.
"But it is a step in the right direction. My view is we need to open up our economy as quickly as we can. As prudently as we can but there are a lot of people suffering," said Crutchfield.
Ross has been in business since 1993 and isn't giving up no matter how painful the pandemic. Later this week, more plans to reopen Texas will be announced.
If you'd like to look at the Governor's guidelines for retail-to-go, click here.
