The man who came into the gift shop was coughing into his hands and touching the merchandise. And he wanted to chat about the new coronavirus.

For Silver Lynx shop owners Scott and Mary Carkin, that moment late last week sealed a difficult decision. Considering the need to care for her high-risk parents, the prospect of having to tap expensive health insurance and an inability to properly disinfect their store and maintain an adequate distance between themselves and their customers, they set asid...