Bookstores, florists, and clothing stores are among the kinds of retail businesses that get to open in California later this week as part of a Phase 2 in a four-phased reopening of the economy.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that while seated service in restaurants still can't happen this month, non-essential businesses that can resume operations with modifications and curbside service include sporting goods stores, toy stores, and record stores. Newsom announced the changes on Twitter, and he said that specific orders would be announced on Thursday, ahead of the Friday changes.

These businesses will need to institute new sanitation practices as well.

"CA is led by DATA and by SCIENCE," Newsom tweeted. "Some sectors where there’s a lower risk of transmission will be able to adapt & re-open with modifications."

As CNBC reports from Newsom's daily press briefing, he said, "We are entering into the next phase this week ... with modifications, we will allow retail to start operating across the spectrum. This is a very positive sign, and it has happened only for one reason: The data says it can happen.”  

Hair stylists and owners of nail salons will continue not to be able to operate, and gyms, movie theaters, and other places that people congregate in groups indoors are also waiting for a later phase to reopen.

There are bound to be specific cases where a retailer is in some sort of gray area with the new rules, but we'll see!

In the case of restaurants, restaurateurs continue to sustain losses as they try to operate only on a takeout basis, losing much of the revenue they'd usually make on beverages, and on turning tables in an evening.

But now some retailers will be able to serve cooped-up customers, albeit in a limited way without browsing being possible. And, presumably, there will be no trying on of clothes.

Photo: Artem Beliakin