'I had one sale': South Carolina retailers not experiencing economic miracle after their state 'reopens'

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been pushing for states to reopen their economies during the COVID-19 pandemic -- but it's quickly becoming clear that merely ending statewide lockdowns won't lead to economic miracles.

The Wall Street Journal reports that retailers in South Carolina are back at work now that pandemic restrictions have been eased in an effort to restart local economies.

The problem, however, is that few customers are showing up.

"I had one sale," jewelry salesman Ghulam Mustafa told the WSJ about his first day back at work last week.

Jim Rathbun, a 73-year-old pecan farmer in Lady’s Island, told the Journal that he's trying to leave his farm as little as possible despite the end of his state's lockdown.

"It will be a gut thing," he said. "We will be more apprehensive about going out until this really starts leveling out."

And Randy Dennis, a women's clothing store owner, explained to WSJ that many businesses still don't feel comfortable reopening even with the green light from their state government.

"We can’t start making new rules and justify them by saying, 'I feel comfortable so my customers will feel comfortable,'" he said.