Rain sends masked Miamians to the malls. ‘There’s not a lot of people in here.’
At one Aventura Mall entrance, the first thing Memorial Day shoppers saw was “The pandemic is üs” written in jagged pink script on a shop window. Behind the slogan, the mannequins wore cheetah-print masks that matched their outfits. The store — a Chilean boutique called Qüina — is closed “until further notice.”
South Floridians looking for a respite on the first weekend of open-business hours were barred from the usual Memorial Day pastimes of boating and picnicking by torrential weather. Those who ventured into malls found far fewer crowds than in years past — and a far different ambiance.
Across South Florida, malls have instituted mandatory masks and “one way” directional signs to make consumers feel safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Surveys suggest it might be an uphill battle. A Business Reopening Survey conducted by the Miami Herald earlier this month found that 52 percent of respondents did not feel comfortable reopening their shops and offices despite Miami-Dade County lifting its closure mandate on May 18. Twenty-three percent worried they wouldn’t have any customers to justify the expense of opening.
Jen, a 23-year-old Aventura woman who declined to give her last name, said she was hesitant about visiting Aventura Mall Monday. “My plan was when I walked in if I saw too many people, I would leave,” she said. She was surprised to see fewer people than she expected, so she spent the afternoon window shopping with two friends.
“Seeing everything empty is really weird,” said Yennifer Valentin, 25, who was shopping for maternity clothes with husband Thomas. If the sun had been shining, the Pembroke Pines couple said they would have been posted at a family member’s house by the pool. Instead “there’s not a lot of people in here. It doesn’t feel very crowded.”
Many shops were closed and would-be shoppers roamed in small groups, largely ignoring the new “one-way” signs on the floor. Everyone wore masks, a rule printed on signs at every entrance. If someone showed up without one, some entrances were equipped with free paper masks; a central desk sold Aventura Mall branded cloth masks for $6. Proceeds go to Voices for Children.
If a shopper refuses to wear a mask, “we ask our on-property Aventura Police Department officers to step in, although that has not been much of an issue,” said Aventura Mall spokesperson Megan Miller.
Some stores sported signs in the windows with new rules: mandatory masks, a limit on customers at one time, closed dressing rooms and credit cards or mobile payment only.
The mall also featured a new kiosk selling masks, face shields, hand sanitizer and gloves. Avi Kartz, 43, said he used to sell cosmetics, but now “people don’t want you to touch their face,” so he pivoted to masks. He said he’s done brisk business since he opened Saturday, despite the slow trickle of customers.
“People really need these masks,” Kartz said. They plan to open another mask kiosk at Sawgrass Mills in a few days.
Despite the blanket use of masks, some customers appeared to follow the letter of the law rather than the spirit. One young man took off his mask to vigorously scratch his nose. Shopkeepers pulled down their masks to lean in close and talk to customers or colleagues.
At Zara, the lines to return online purchases and make new ones wound through the store and stretched down the entire wing of the mall. The queue would have been even longer if customers had been spaced six feet apart; they were not.
Dadeland Mall, too, saw far fewer customers and employees than on a pre-pandemic shopping day, despite the miserable weather.
Yadira Padraza and her 21-year-old daughter, Veronica, opted for the mall as home escape. After spending two hours at Dadeland, they planned a stop at the Shops at Merrick Park.
“I’d rather everything open as soon as possible,” said Veronica Padraza, who is home from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
Her mother agreed, adding “I’m not even a little afraid.”
Both said they felt safe around the other shoppers, who seemed to be following guidelines.
“Everybody is minding their own business, staying cautious with their masks on,” Yadira said.
As a self-proclaimed healthy 55-year-old, she doesn’t feel at risk. She said people in their 80s, like her parents, should continue to be careful. But she doesn’t feel the need to continue isolating.
That attitude isn’t shared universally. The economic crunch of coronavirus closures has hit retail especially hard and left millions of workers unemployed. Reopening means a chance to make up for months of lost income.
Flor Vega, who works at Nero & Acero, a jewelry bodega in Dadeland Mall, said she wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for her job. Because her shop is an uncovered kiosk, she sees customers walking by all day who aren’t following precautions.
“I do believe in the virus,” she said. “There are many people who don’t, but I do.”
Vega fears opening too early will cause a second wave. She is particularly afraid of people who may carry COVID-19 but are asymptomatic, she said.
Elsewhere in Dadeland, Kay Young shopped with friends for clothes. The group, from Atlanta, is in town for a vacation, an unusual sight in pandemic times.
Young walked around the mall without a mask, although signs were posted at the entrance and within the mall advising that masks are required. Young said wearing masks isn’t obligatory in Atlanta any longer and she was surprised at how many people wore them in Miami.
Young said she’s not afraid of getting the virus because she has a strong immune system. She hopes her group’s outdoor plans for the week won’t be derailed by the rain, although public beach access is limited.
“We’re putting it in God’s hands,” Young said.
Other travelers were few and far between. Ricardo Erosso, who works at shoe boutique Scarpa Italia, said the lack of tourists has dragged down sales.
“Business is dying,” he said.
For every one item that locals purchase, tourists usually buy four, Erosso said. Local customers have slowly started returning since the mall reopened on May 18, he said; sale prices are drawing them in.
Daniela Luzardo, 23, was making a return rather than a purchase. The Florida International University alumnus had purchased a dress for a wedding that was canceled because of the pandemic.
Although she said she isn’t worried for herself, she’s skeptical of other people’s behavior. She’s waiting to see if coronavirus cases dramatically increase in the weeks after Florida reopens.
“If people are smart about it, we should be able to move forward,” Luzardo said.
This story was originally published May 25, 2020 at 6:32 PM.
