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There are outward signs of a reviving service economy â increased customer traffic, streams of tourists on weekends â but many local owners are still struggling with serious staffing shortages, and the end is not yet in sight.
Most also are dealing with supply chain bottlenecks, exacerbated nationwide by staffing issues all down the line, resulting in skyrocketing costs for basic supplies, said downtown Bennington business owner Heather Hassett.
Hassett, who with her husband, Ryan, owns three local businesses, doesnât think the general public is aware of how much more improvement is needed before Benningtonâs downtown, and others around the county, can return to their pre-COVID-19 pandemic strength.