Frank Wallmeyer is not one of the many Northeast Florida retailers that have had to close their doors as local and state officials restricted capacity on commercial retail space to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re like the Publix for pets. We need to be open so people can get cat food, dog food, potbelly pig food and feed. Animals still need to eat,” said Wallmeyer, president of Standard Feed & Seed Inc.
Like grocery stores, sales volume is up at the animal feed and garden supply store.
“We’ve been slammed,” he said.
Daily sales have increased 20% to 25% over this time in 2019, Wallmeyer said. Standard Feed & Seed has a budgeted garden center sales increase in March.
Wallmeyer said the company is selling more vegetable plants this year because people are stuck at home with time to work on what many of his customers are calling “victory gardens.”
“The good thing about this crisis is it’s forcing people to think more about where their food comes from,” he said.
The store, at 1236 Kings Road, not far from Downtown, is open Monday through Saturday.
Wallmeyer is accommodating customers who are self-isolating and practicing social distancing in response to the pandemic.
Standard Feed & Seed has waived its $25 delivery fee for some Northeast Florida locations on certain days of the week.
Wallmeyer said on Tuesdays his staff will deliver to Riverside, Avondale, Ortega and Orange Park; Wednesdays to San Marco, San Jose, Mandarin and St. Johns County; Thursdays to Springfield, Northside and Nassau County; and Fridays to Arlington, Southside and the Beaches.
Standard Feed & Seed still will deliver to any location in its service area Monday through Saturday for $25.
Wallmeyer has 11 employees and because business activity has increased, jobs at Standard Feed & Seed are secure.
For commodity retailers, Wallmeyer said the new coronavirus will permanently change day-to-day operations.
“There are some things that will never go back to the way they were — heightened awareness on cleanliness and having the cleaning products on hand to keep our customers and employees as safe as possible,” he said.