This pandemic causes people terror, but some have used it for their benefit.
This year COVID- 19 took the world by storm and killed more than a million people. This year 2020 the coronavirus has started, and it has been tough for a lot of people around the world. According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this is a dangerous virus. There’s been 35 million total cases worldwide. Only 24.3 million people who recovered and 1.03 million has died from it.
At the King of Prussia mall, there is a new store called COVID-19. The main offerings at the store are masks. The store opened on July 3, 2020. It is open seven days a week, and they’re trying to make money during this pandemic. COVID-19 is a new store chain popping up at malls in the mid-Atlantic region.
COVID-19 sells masks and they are available for both kids and adults. They are mostly all handmade in the store by a local named Taylor Courtney. The price of masks ranges from $5-$150. A percentage of the proceeds of all Black Lives Matter masks go to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP.) There are different kinds that costs more than usual because it has good fabric depending on which kind of masks someone choose. The store has several patches of crystal designs for people to add to their mask to give it a more personal spin. Some are being sold with accessories giving people a more fancy look.
“I like it because it’s a casual retail job,” Nakayla Quattlebaum, a manager at COVID-19 and a junior international business major at Cabrini, said. “It’s not too straight rule wise, the mask is all handmade, double layered and adjustable, so yes.”
“Our store was catchy and wanted to draw people into the store,” Alexis Miller, a manager at COVID-19, said. “We been open for three months now and people are repeating coming back and they tell their friends about it.”
“In my opinion people can get offensive and might not like the name of our store. A good thing is that you can get fancy mask to match your outfit, so why not. We’re trying to make the best of this bad situation,” Miller said.
People walk around with basic masks that could be made with better fabric. As the COVID-19 is still going on, there’s now a chance to show self-pride and step foot in comfort zone while wearing masks.
“After being home for an extended period of time, the entrepreneur in me made me want to get up and do something and considering the times,” Peter Markowitz, the COVID-19 store owner, said. “It had to be about COVID-19 because I feel that most people are taking this time as a joke. I hope this business can help decrease the illness and chances of people getting sick.”
“The prices are worth it,” Caitlin King, a senior business management major, said. “I bought three masks for $120. It’s good to get now because who knows when this pandemic will end.”
“I’m glad someone came up with this idea already,” Nickolus Hudges, Delaware Technical college business professor, said. “During this pandemic I rarely see anyone wearing their mask, I remember in March hearing someone complain talking about how basic the mask are that’s being sold in shopping centers.”
There’s a wide variety of masks available. A section called “make a gift beautiful” gives samples how the workers customize different kinds of masks. It has breathing masks that let customers express their individuality while protecting themselves and others from the coronavirus.
