Store owners report better than average shopping season – Daily Bulldog

Store owners report better than average shopping season – Daily Bulldog

Farmington Public Works employee Melissa Dunham hangs a wreath downtown last year.

FARMINGTON – After facing a difficult spring due to restrictions from COVID-19, local store owners are reporting a positive change in shopping trends. Many shop owners were forced to completely close their doors in March, following health safety guidelines outlined by the state. It wasn’t until June that stores were allowed to safely reopen in accordance with requirements such as wearing face masks, providing hand sanitizer, and placing barriers at the register. With many people staying close to home during the summer months, the shopping scene was slow to return, but the holiday season painted a different scene.

“It was pretty much phenomenal. Way better than we could have ever imagined,” owner of Vera’s Iron & Vine, Vera Johnson said.

Other store owners reported the same. Pam Nichols, of Country Primitives Decor, said they had a better year than last and Minikins owner Susun Terese echoed the statement.

“It’s all because of our local shoppers, and their support of small businesses. The whole town has benefited from this,” Nichols said.

The next few months are typically the slowest for downtown shops, but all three store owners said they aren’t too worried. Many of them were given breaks from their landlords during the government shut down, but even with rent payments due, none of them appeared concerned. Johnson said they will take the slower months to rearrange the store, and add in a wall-size art installation. Terese said she’ll keep inventory low, but plans to still be open five days a week due to the fact that she also manufacturers many of her products. She reported seeing a large boost in sales because of the face masks she started making this summer. She has sold 4,000 masks so far, and doesn’t expect that to slow down much.

“I think there was a huge call to action for people to shop local. We hope people remember that if and when we get back to any sort of normalcy,” Johnson said.

Published at Sat, 26 Dec 2020 18:54:49 +0000