With millions of workers, the retail industry ranks highly as a job sector in the U.S. Like others, it was among a series of industries hit hard by COVID-19 in 2020. 

Though many retail establishments have found ways to stay open amid the pandemic, an innumerable amount lost business in Spring 2020 when states went into mandated lockdowns. While many major corporations were able to recover from the beginning of the pandemic, local business has struggled immensely. 

Boone County is no exception to this. As it stands, Ashland has remained unscathed without closures. However in Columbia, the Penguin Piano Bar was forced to close permanently due to COVID-19 induced problems. Pier 1 Imports announced it will close all of its stores, including the Columbia location. Nationwide, businesses who have yet to call it quits continue to struggle in the aftermath of these lockdowns. 

~ Get more in today’s Journal ~

By Sofi Zeman