SHOP SAFELY DURING THE HOLIDAYS SAFELY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

By Kasha Stoll

What will holiday shopping look like in a year when established rules have been tossed out the window?

Local business owners have been considering that question for months. Learn what three of them recommend and plan to offer during the holiday season.

Northwest Outlet

“If you find something you like and really want, now is the time to get it,” said Dave Miller, owner of Northwest Outlet, 1814 Belknap Street in Superior. “That is not my style of selling stuff. I don’t like the hard sell, but supply is going to be a little short this winter.”

Miller said he reduced his normal order by 13 percent in anticipation of lower-than-average sales. However, his manufacturers are experiencing a supply chain issue and have only been able to deliver about 70 percent of what he ordered. He is trying to find additional items to place on his shelves but has had limited success.

“I was afraid we would have too much stuff, but now we are going to have too little because of shortages in the supply chain,” Miller said. “Stuff will disappear fast, especially the core products, colors and sizes.”

Miller said he will run a special for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28. Details of that special will be determined a few weeks in advance and will depend on what merchandise he has on hand.

Miller recommends that customers check the store’s hours before leaving home. To “keep the health circle as tight as we can,” Miller said he has shortened the store’s hours and is working with a smaller crew.

Like all business owners, Miller is aware of the need for social distancing. He didn’t change the layout of the store, but he is aware of how many people are in the building. So far, he has not had to impose a customer limit. That may change during the holiday season, though.

Benders Shoes

Craig Bender, owner of Bender Shoes, also expressed concern about supply chain issues. He said he is struggling to get new items in at the stores, and his marketing schedule has been delayed for the fall.

Bender has three locations in northeast Minnesota: 2116 Maple Grove Road in Duluth; 405 East Howard in Hibbing; and 409 Northwest 1st Avenue in Grand Rapids.

The stores are reconfigured to allow more social distancing, and employees are handing shoes to customers instead of slipping the shoes on their feet. The Grand Rapids store opens to the public at 10 a.m. but will open by appointment between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. for customers who prefer to avoid the crowds.

The Hibbing and Duluth stores will make similar arrangements, if necessary.

“We do our best to accommodate all our customers’ needs, and we always have,” Bender said.

His employees are also working on an e-commerce site to make more shoes available online. He encouraged customers to call the stores or check online for more details.

Bender is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming holiday shopping season. He decided to make a full order of products, bucking a trend among his peers to order conservatively. He wants to make sure he has enough product in stock to care for his customers.

“From our perspective, the public seems to have found their level of comfort,” said Craig Bender. “We are not beyond (the pandemic), but people are coping with it and have found out how to go about life and do their thing.”

The LoFT

When the governor issued a “Stay at home” order in March, Laurie Gillen and her team went into serious planning mode.

“In my mind, you can either curl up in the corner and cross your fingers and hope things get better, or you can be proactive,” said Gillen, owner of The LoFT, a boutique store at 1709 Mall Drive in Duluth. “We needed to get sales in a different way.”

As a result of their planning session, the LoFT team created a new, wildly popular business model that will continue long after the pandemic stops.

Twice a week – during “Monday Lunch Time” and “Friday Happy Hours” – Gillen and her crew offer live sales via the store’s Facebook page. During the event, Gillen or one of her employees displays items one at a time. Online audience members can claim it by typing “Sold” in a comment box.

“We tell people to get ready,” Gillen said. “It is hilarious. Two or three people may want an article, but it goes to the first person who claims it.”

Winning customers then pay for their purchases when the event closes. Gillen said between nine and 30 people participate in the live sales, and many of those customers come to every event.

During Friday Happy Hour, customers get a first glance at new merchandise that came in during the week.

“That’s why people keep coming back,” Gillen said. “They know they are seeing stuff that was not in here prior.”

Prior to the pandemic, Gillen hosted “Ladies Night at the LoFT” at the store on the first Thursday of every month, and customers could shop while enjoying wine and food. She will bring that event back virtually in November for her loyal customers.

“Let us know if you and three of your friends want to come,” Gillen said. “We’ll send an invitation, and you can enjoy a special night with friends.”

Gillen also has another big change in the works, but she is staying tight lipped for now. She encouraged her customers to “stay tuned.” D