Local retail businesses begin to rebound through curbside services

Local retail businesses begin to rebound through curbside services

ALLOWING SPECIFICRETAILERS TO BEGIN CURBSIDE PICKUP OPTIONS WITH CUSTOMERS.23ABC'S TORI COOPER SPOKE TO ALOCAL BOUTIQUE OWNERABOUT HOW SHE PLANS TO SERVE HERCLIENTS USING SOCIALDISTANCING.YEA IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN A GHOSTTOWN DOWN HERELATELY FOR MANY RETAILBUSINESSES IN DOWNTOWN WHO HAVEBEEN FACING SIGNIFICANTCHALLENGESWHEN TRYING TO STAY AFLOAT- BUTTONIGHT THE OWNER OF THEHOUSE OF TALULA CLOTHING STORESAYS PHASE TWO IS GIVING HERHOPE.AFTER 21 YEARS OF STYLING HERCOMMUNITY-OWNER OF OF HOUSE OFTALULA BOUTIQUE-CHRIS LUDWIG HADTO CLOSE HER DOORS DUE TOCOVID-19."WE DIDN'T KNOW WHICH WAY IT WASGOING TO TURN AND WE DIDN'T KNOWOURNEXT MOVE AND WE WERE IN SHOCK."LUDWIG SAYS WHEN SHE CLOSED HERDOORS-LIKE MANYOTHER OWNERS HER BUSINESSSTARTED DEPENDING ONHER ONLINE PLATFORMS LIKE HERWEBSITE AND INSTAGRAM."IT DEFINITELY TOOK OFF, IT WASTHE ONLY WAY TO REACH OURCUSTOMERS AND IT TURNED INTO ONEOF OUR BEST SELLING AVENUES."DOING HER BEST TO STAY AFLOATAND STILL REACH HER CLIENTS SHESTARTED POSTING THINGS LIKECANDLES AND MASKS ON HERSOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS THATBACAME SOME OF HER BESTSELLERS.BUT EVENTUALLY SHE HAD NO CHOICEAND SHE STARTEDDELIVERING CLOTHES, HOUSEHOLDGOODS ANDOTHER ITEMS FROM HER STORE TOHER CLIENT'S HOMES IN KERNCOUNTY TO HELP PRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING.

AFTER HAVING HERPRODUCT ON LOCKDOWN -- WITH THEIMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE'SPHASE TWO ON FRIDAY -- SHE CANNOW BEGIN THE PROCESS OFRETURNING TO NORMAL -- OFFERINGA SAFE AND SIMPLE CURBSIDESYSTEM IN PLACE SHE CAN USELEGALLY."THEY CALL OR DM US ONINSTAGRAM, WESEND THEM AN INVOICE, THEYPREPAY, WE HAVE OUR MASKS ON,THEY CALL US WHEN THEY GET HEREAND WE RUN TO THE CURB."ALONG WITH HER NEW HANDSFREESQUARE PAY SYSTEM APPWHERE CLIENTS CAN PAY THROUGHWITH OUT SOCIAL INTERACTION SHEALSO EXTENDED HER RETURN POLICYTO HELP CUSTOMERS TRYITEMS ON FROM HOME AND RETURNTHEM IF THEY DON'T FITAND SHE SANITIZES THE GARMENTSWHEN THEY ARERETURNED.HER SALES HAVE STILL DIPPED MORETHAN 60 PERCENT-BUT SHEDID QUALIFY FOR THE PPE LOAN.SHE SAYS MANY OF HER LOCALCUSTOMERS HAVE STUCK BY HERDURING THIS UNCERTAIN TIME BYPURCHASING DISCOUNTED GIFTCARDS TO USE LATER, HELPING HERMAINTAIN AND REBOUND DURING THISPANDEMIC.I'M HOPING THAT THIS IS OVERSOON AND WECAN GET BACK TO OUR LIVES.NOW LUDWIG SAYS SHE HAS ALREADYSTARTED RESEARCHINGHOW TO INSTALL PLEXIGLASS IN HERBOUTIQUE, AND SHE WILLLIEKLY ONLY USE ONE DRESSINGROOM WHEN SHE IS FINALLYALLOWED TO REOPEN FULLY.MANY OTHER RETAILERS LIKE DSWAND HUSTLERHOLLYWOOD ALSO HAVE SIMILARMETHODS IN PLACE AND AREOPEN FOR CURBSIDE SERVICE RIGHTNOWTAKING YOU INTO THE LIVECENTER.... UNACAST IS NOW GIVING