Oconee Cellar is a popular liquor store near beautiful Lake Oconee, Georgia where I live. Owner Matt Garofalo sent an e-blast to his mailing list that he intended to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic. Matt is known for his innovative and inclusive approaches to retail. For example, with the help of a Kentucky brewery, he created his signature brand of bourbon and got his customers to taste test five options of flavors to select the right one. Matt sold out in a few days. Repeating the process, he is now on his thirteenth custom-made bourbon. I wondered how Matt was going to manage his retail store during a shut-you-down pandemic.

Last week a group of 10 “ain’t-life-great” people from out of town wandered into his store together, despite CDC warnings of social distancing.

“They were like a bunch of college kids on a crowded beach,” Matt told me with obvious displeasure. But Matt did not stay mad very long. He put up a table outside his storefront with a homemade sign that told customers they were not to come into the store. “Tell us what you want, we will bring it out to you,” stated the sign. Matt’s store is in the middle of a small mall, making a drive-through physically impossible. So, he simulated a drive-through and won the accolades of his customers.

We are seeing a surge in innovative adaptions in the light of new health challenges. The beautiful Canlis Restaurant, overlooking Lake Union in Seattle, completely changed its method of delivering food. For only the third time in its almost 70-year history, it closed its dining room, just like most restaurants around the country. But, it transformed the famed restaurant into three delivery alternatives: a drive-through high-end burger restaurant, a family meal delivery service (complete with a bottle of wine), and a bagel shop to market its famous bagels. In the words of co-owner Mark Canlis, in a Fast Company interview by Lilly Smith, “You have to play as much offense as you do defense.”

My local CVS pharmacy placed a card table in front of every cash register with the credit card machine on the table. The scanner picks up the bar code of each item at a distance. It forces a six-foot space between the store clerk (in rubber gloves) and their customers.  Should a customer elect to use cash, she or he is encouraged to use the hand sanitizer before passing bills across the table.

Online retailers are not only sending health tips, stay-at-home advice, and other timely resources, many are finding ways to engage customers, not just educate them. My friend Ray Bard is a “quote lover.” Every week he sends out two new inspirational quotes and asks recipients to rate the quotes. Shep Hyken, owner of the training company Shepard Productions, and a popular keynote speaker recently did a Bed Talk (instead of a Ted Talk) on LinkedIn literally from his bed at his residence in St. Louis. The five-minute talk was laced with ideas for coping during times of crisis.

Drones are on the uptick; self-service fresh foods kiosks are coming on the scene. Target’s Drive Up service started a few years ago is now proving to be prophetic. I formerly bought cat food at my vet. Not wanting to go out, I recently ordered three bags online from Petco. It was cheaper and delivered to my front door. I may now only go to the vet for what vets were always intended to do — care for the medical needs of animals, not serve as a pet food store.

My Publix grocery store has instituted special early morning hours for seniors. From 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. two days a week only those over 65 are allowed in the store. Many stores are asking customers what open hours they prefer and tailoring them to customer preferences. Others are adjusting hours to accommodate employees laboring under the stress of frightened, short-tempered customers as well as worrying about their own health. Around-the-clock home delivery is up dramatically.  Even Michael’s, famous for its “come in and browse” retail feature, will deliver craft and art supplies to home-bound customers.

When times are tough, the tough get going. Take a page from the Oconee Cellar playbook. Don’t get mad; get smart. Your customers will be better served and everyone will remain healthier.