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A wave of closures and layoffs at Goodwill stores in the Bay Area is the latest sign of the staggering losses suffered by retail and service-industry businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay has announced it closed eight retail stores and laid off 61 employees on Friday. Mike Keenan, president and CEO, said the nonprofit organization had to make a difficult decision.

“Goodwill is all about the people,” he said Sunday. “It was a very emotional day for me.”

Keenan said the organization, which serves Contra Costa, Alameda and Solano counties, closed stores in Albany, Berkeley, Dixon, Dublin, Livermore, Oakland, Oakley and Vallejo.

A yellow sign with red letters hung still from the Dublin store: “Now Hiring.”

Keenan said the nonprofit has 36 openings and has hopes it can place some of those who were let go into new positions. He said some of those in the Dixon store might relocate to stores in Davis or Sacramento.

Continue Reading on East Bay Times

This has been a terrible year if you own the kind of business governments have made unlawful for you to operate, yet your lease still obligates you to pay rent.

For many businesses, Black Friday and the period through Dec. 31 have been when the business can go from a losing year (in the “red”) to a profitable year (in the “black”). But that period will not save your business if coronavirus public policy makes it completely unable to operate (see “The List”). And with the current COVID-19 surge and the uncertainty of further government assistance, the situation may not get any better anytime soon.

However, there is a strategy that could enable you to stop the bleeding and restructure or terminate your commercial lease now.

Continue Reading on Northbay Business Journal