VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - While it is the law to wear a mask in public in Virginia, many are not complying causing angst for some business owners and customers.
Jen Henderson owns Worth the Wait Consignment shop in Virginia Beach, and she requires shoppers to wear a mask - but some refuse.
“We lost a month and a half of sales. We are a small business, and we don’t have extra cash reserves just sitting around. This was devastating financially. I do employ one full-time employee, a single mom of three," she said.
She sent emails to all of her regular customers and also posted a note on her website to let everyone know to wear a mask when they come out to shop.
“I did get a few nasty emails that said they weren’t shopping in the store. It’s a little disheartening. We’re not doing this for a political statement. We’re doing this to keep everyone safe. We were closed for seven weeks. If one of us gets sick, gets COVID, we’ll have to quarantine for 14 days and shut down the store again," Henderson explained.
Henderson does provide free masks to customers if they don't have one.
She also offers curbside pickup and has an online shopping platform for those who prefer not to shop in person.
