Businesses are reopening. Where are all the customers?

Empty restaurant in New York City — (Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Whether they appear to be beating COVID-19 or not, states around the U.S. are starting to cautiously reopen. "But analysts say that businesses and their customers, through their actions, will decide when the economy opens up again," not governors, NPR's Jim Zarroli reports, and so far, consumers are mostly staying locked-down. "News reports have shown pictures of crowded bars in Wisconsin and busy beaches in Florida, but businesses that have reopened say customers have been slow to return."

"I think some mall owners and retailers have been taken by surprise as to how slow this build is," GlobalData analyst Neil Saunders tells NPR News. "Consumers are very concerned about coming out. And some are just not confident to go out to locations and shop like they used to." Listen to Zarroli's report below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.