Portsmouth children’s clothing store trying to stay afloat after robbery

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WLNE) – Portsmouth Police are investigating a robbery at a children’s clothing store.

Police say it happened about a week ago at The Robin’s Egg on East Main Road in Portsmouth.

The owner, Robin Lee, just opened up shop about a year ago. Days after she opened her doors, the pandemic hit, halting life and shutting down businesses across the state.

“We were maybe open for 2 or 3 days and then all the business shut until May,” Lee said. “We had just invested a lot of money in renovating the space and fixtures and that sort of thing, so it was unsettling.”

On top of those struggles, Lee’s business doesn’t qualify for PPP loans because they’re so new and don’t have tax records to prove a loss. Nonetheless, she says she’s pushed forward and has been open for business.

She says she will still recouping from her loses due to COVID when the robbery happened.

“We left for the day and the next time I was here and open for business, we realized there had been a break in,” Lee said.

According to Lee, she discovered the break-in last Tuesday. She says someone went to the register and stole weeks of revenue, money she says is quite literally keeping her lights on.

“We’re already facing a challenging time with COVID, period,” Lee said. “Then to come in and realize someone has taken advantage of you. I know this is a hard time for many, many people and I would’ve rathered someone came to me and said I’m struggling right now, I need help. I would help you.”

Lee says she reported the incident to Portsmouth Police who are now investigating. Now she’s hoping a little community support could go a long way.

“Every single penny counts in this time,” Lee said. “To have anything stolen is a challenge, but this is COVID and it’s a whole different situation.”