Mass. Retailers: Downturn May Ruin Small Retailers

The Massachusetts economy has taken a big hit because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Businesses that have been deemed non-essential, like hair-dressers, small furniture stores, and clothing stores have been closed for weeks.

With no income coming in, John Hurst of the Mass. Retailers Association fears those businesses may not recover.

"I've seen some localized surveys that show that just under half of these small businesses are concerned that they're not going to survive this crisis," said Hurst. "We could be talking about tens of thousands of small businesses that may not reopen."

Hurst told WBSM's Brian Thomas that state government should do all it can to get those businesses reopened.

"We've got to start looking at ways to get them reopened again. Look, in many cases, they're not getting the flexibility they need from either their landlord for rent or their suppliers for inventory."

Hurst believes the state could allow those businesses to reopen with some restrictions, like having them maintain social distancing and limiting the number of customers in their stores.