NEW ORLEANS — Parking lots at Lakeside Shopping Center have been mostly empty since March 18.
That’s when the mall in Jefferson Parish closed its doors as part of the state’s stay-at-home order aimed at slowing the spread of the Coronavirus.
As Louisiana slowly reopens the economy, about a dozen stores at Lakeside will join a host of restaurants at the mall offering curbside service beginning on Friday.
“We’ve been anxiously awaiting the right time to open,” Chad Berg, Lee Michael’s Fine Jewelry said. “We’ve been spending hours putting together procedures of what the new reality looks like. The social distancing, the mask, the visors, really allowing our people to understand what is the new normal going to be.”
Thursday, Lee Michael’s set up a tent and a table outside the mall.
Berg said it was a dress rehearsal for when stores can start up curbside operations.
“Mother’s Day and Graduation Day are around the corner and so we want to be there to help our customers celebrate those special events with us,” Berg said.
Victoria Sausse at the woman’s apparel store, Altar’d State and A Beautiful Soul said it’s an exciting time for her team.
“We’re very excited to finally open in some aspect to the public,” Sausse said. “Even though we’re not opening our doors, we’re still opening to curbside which is amazing.”
Here’s how curbside will work at Lakeside:
- SHOP: The customer places an order either over the phone or through the store’s website.
- PARK: The customer will be given parking instructions and directed toward a pickup zone.
- CALL: Once the customer pulls into a numbered parking space, they will contact the store.
- PICKUP: A store employee will deliver the items to the customer’s vehicle.
Retailers are anxious to get their employees back on the job.
“The best part of this is being able to see my team and allow them the chance to get back on the schedule and get back to work,” Sausse said. “That’s what we’ve all been looking forward to.”
“We were able to employ all of our people and they have been at home,” Berg said. “They’ve been training. They’ve been studying and getting ready for this day.”
Other retailers offering curbside pickup include Dick’s Sporting Goods, Earthsavers, Mignon Faget and Pottery Barn.
As for the larger department stores, Macy’s and J.C. Penny are not expected to offer curbside service, at least for now. Dillard’s is listed as “coming soon.”
Lakeside will be offering curbside pickup Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Click on this link for a complete list of stores and restaurants participating in the program: https://www.lakesideshopping.com/curbside.
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