ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – With what Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling a full phase one, now in effect, retailers can now allow up to 50 percent capacity.
News 6 headed to the Altamonte Mall along with other stores in the area, to see if the new rollout has impacted shoppers’ habits.
The mall, it turns out, was pretty quiet; no crowds of shoppers or long lines.
One shopper commenting, "I think today, honestly, it’s the weather," said Kristin Pecoraro, after the area saw rain this morning.
Pecoraro tells News 6 she works at the Altamonte Mall, adding "the malls are not swarmed with people." We ran into her while she was on her break, running errands.
Pecoraro said of the department store where she works, "people are really happy they were open." She said their store hasn't been overwhelmed by shoppers on the first day of increased capacity.
The strip malls seemed to be busier, but most of the traffic was for the grocery store in the lot.
Another shopper who was out, Michael Boy, said, “it still doesn’t seem like there are a lot more people out on the road.”
Boy was shopping at Petco and said, in terms of how shoppers are acting inside the stores, “It depends on where you’re at.”
He said shoppers at Petco were social distancing and careful to follow guidelines, but said other stores he’s been in, have not seen the same compliance.