Print Good morning. I’m Rachel Schnalzer, the L.A. Times Business section’s audience engagement editor. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many of the ways small businesses interact with customers — people are spending less time browsing in stores, for example, while a decrease in foot traffic has made a dent in walk-ins at salons and restaurants. Newsletter Get our free business newsletter for insights and tips for getting by. Enter email address You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. But while traditional in-person opportunities for customer interaction decreased over the last year, the internet has enabled small businesses to bridge the gap by pivoting to e-commerce.