By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Shopping local this holiday season is perhaps more important than ever, according to local businesses.
Leland Olive, Couture for Men owner, said the pandemic has taken a toll on his business. He is hoping sales during the holiday will just be close to what they were last season.
“There is no way you can make up what you lost,” he said.
Doors could close
Sarah Wasinger, Hays Chamber of Commerce executive director, said this is a very critical year for many local businesses.
“We have already been told by several of them if there is another shutdown, they will be shutting their doors down for good,” she said.
“Think about the ways these business owners have supported our community for so many years. They are the ones supporting the sports teams, the arts programs. … They’re your friends. They’re the ones you sit by at church. They are your kids’s friends.”
The coronavirus has taken its toll on everybody, Shaun Musil, owner of the Paisley Pear, said.
“We feel very blessed that people have supported us the best they can," he said.
However, he noted the next two months will be important going into the next year.
"Small business, usually November and December gets us through January and February,” he said.
For those who don’t feel comfortable shopping in-store or dining out because of the pandemic, Musil suggested gift cards that help a business now but allow flexibility for the shopper.
Discounts and prizes
Both the Hays Chamber and Downtown Hays Development Corporation are pushing efforts to bolster local shopping.
DHDC has partnered with businesses on several holiday promotions including a cash giveaway, coupon books and a We’re Glad You’re Here campaign, Sara Bloom, DHDC executive director, said.
Five hundred coupon books with offers from 22 downtown businesses are being sold for $10 each. They are valued at close to $1,000. The books are being sold at participating businesses and at the DHDC office.
$3,000 will be given away during the Downtown Dollar Giveaway. Once you have spent a minimum set by the business, you will be given a ticket that enters you into a drawing for a $2,000 grand prize or $1,000 second prize that can be spent back at downtown businesses. Participating businesses also have some smaller prizes that will be given away.
The DHDC had planned to do the drawing live after the Frostfest parade, but the drawing may be done virtually because of rising COVID numbers. Watch the DHDC Facebook page or website for more details.
Bloom said businesses didn’t want to exclude shoppers from out of town, so the DHDC created the We’re Glad You’re Here campaign. Shoppers will receive a card worth $5 off a purchase of $25 or more at participating businesses.
Not all businesses are struggling
Downtown business The Furniture Look is running discounts this weekend for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Owner Karen Dreiling said although she lost business during the shutdown, her industry has seen a 40 percent to 50 percent jump since reopening.
She attributed the increase to more people spending time in their homes.
COVID still has posed challenges for the business. Dreiling is struggling with factories unable keep up with her orders. Orders that had taken six weeks are now taking 12.
However, she said if anything has come out of COVID, it has been awareness of the need to support small businesses.
“I think that the shopper has gotten so much wiser about the importance of shopping local, shopping small,” Dreiling said, “because I see it almost everyday where people come in and say they could order something online, but they choose to shop with the local merchants.”
Money spent here, stays here
Wasinger said local employers are responding to the call to shop local, as well. As of last week, the Chamber had already exceeded its number of Chamber Cheques sold for the previous year. Why the surge?
HaysMed purchased Chamber Cheques as part of an employee appreciation program. Doctors's offices and individuals have purchased Chamber Cheques, which can be spent at Chamber member businesses, as appreciation gifts for frontline workers.
“It is very humbling to know that people are paying attention now,” Wasinger said. “I think shop local is bigger now than ever.”
“We’ve also had people say, ‘We used to purchase things out of town. We know this year more than ever businesses need help locally,' ” Wasinger said. “I think people are really cognizant of the choices they make when they open their wallets.”
Local spending doesn't just help a single business owner. The average dollar circulates seven times if spent locally.
“We know if I go into a store and take my Chamber Cheque ... Say it’s $25 and I going to go to Dillons and buy groceries for Thanksgiving. That Chamber Cheque is going toward one of their staff member’s salaries. That person is going to go purchase gas or rent with it. That money is going to continue to recycle through town for seven times. ...
“If you can push a cart instead of click on a cart, and you are doing it here in Ellis County, you are going to be doing more good,” Wasinger said.
Businesses offer alternative shopping options
Local businesses are taking great lengths to keep their businesses safe and clean and meet the needs of customers.
“Yes, COVID has definitely reduced our foot traffic,” Bloom said, “but our store are really working hard to accommodate in these times and serve the community.”
Couture for Men is steaming clothing that has been tried on before they go back on the racks. Olive also noted small Hays businesses are usually much less crowded than the big box stores, which means more room is available for social distancing.
The Paisley Pear has launched an online store. It is delivering its retail items in Hays for free this holiday season. Couture for Men will ship. Still others are offering personal shopping and curbside delivery.
“It is just the right thing to do this year,” Musil said. “We are trying to go out of our way to make people feel comfortable.”
Wasinger suggested watching your favorite store’s Facebook page or contacting it directly to see what shopping options it is offering this season.
“Don’t be afraid if you don’t feel safe to go out and shop this year because of the situation, work with the businesses,"Wasinger said. "They are bending over backward trying to make a difference for folks, and they very much need our support now more than ever."