By Patrick Sullivan Like small businesses everywhere, shop owners in downtown Petoskey want to see just as many customers this year as they do any other year. They’d just prefer if they didn’t all come at once. “If they could come in shifts that would be so wonderful,” said Becky Goodman, downtown director for the City of Petoskey. “That’s what’s hard for the retailers — they love crowds, and now they have to monitor that, and it’s tricky. I have faith that this will be a good season.” That’s why Petoskey’s downtown district, like that of Traverse City and other small towns, has been busy coming up with strategies to lure holiday shoppers while at the same time discouraging crowds in an attempt to keep people safe. As small businesses deal with the challenges of COVID-19 and a stressed-out workforce, it’s more important than ever to convince consumers to spend holiday dollars locally rather than at big online companies.
AN UNCERTAIN CHRISTMAS Local businesses struggle to adapt amid a COVID-19 surge during the holiday season.
Downtown Traverse City
10 • dec 07, 2020 • Northern Express Weekly
EVERYBODY COME, JUST NOT AT ONCE Petoskey’s annual open house, Santa parade, and the ladies shopping night have all been canceled this year, Goodman said. But for local businesses, the stress wrought by the impact of the novel coronavirus is more complicated than just worry about losing customers to big online stores this holiday season. Now, 10 months into the pandemic, social distancing, and constant mask-wearing are tiresome, she said. “We had a great summer, and we had a really good, strong fall, but I think that the merchants are people who love to greet their customers, and they love talking to their customers,” Goodman said. “It’s getting a little wearing.” Still, Goodman said, the city is doing what it can to get people to come downtown and shop, whether in person or via the internet. “We’re doing what we can to get people to come down safely,” she said. They’ve set up late shopping hours for Thursday nights and created a contest in which visitors to Petoskey’s downtown can download QR codes to enter a drawing. There was a “secret tree lighting” event on YouTube, and the city’s website includes a holiday catalog to help people shop downtown online. “We’ve done this for six or seven years now, but I think it’s more important than ever to get this out this year,” Goodman said. The city also has quietly established a “social district,” meaning that it is legal to walk around outside within the downtown boundaries with an alcoholic drink. One establishment in Petoskey already had a license to sell to-go drinks as of late November, and Goodman said that two to four others will soon be able to serve to-go drinks, too. “When everyone has their permit, I think you’re going to see a lot of activity with it,” she said. “It’s great to be able to walk around and look in the windows.” In line with recommended health protocols, Goodman said Petoskey officials don’t want to encourage crowds to congregate, so they have not erected outdoor tents or warming houses. People will be motivated to keep moving in order to keep warm while they imbibe. “Every [downtown] sidewalk is in the [social] district, and it is clearly marked, so you can walk around and enjoy your drink and enjoy yourself,” Goodman said. “I just think that the overall shopping experience in general, people want that, and you just can’t beat what we are offering in downtown Petoskey.”
The local businesses that are most at risk amid the pandemic are the restaurants because, after a summer of lowered guest capacity, the most recent state orders forced them to cease all dine-in service. Goodman said that since this is a time of year when people typically eat out and spend money at restaurants, she hopes residents and visitors should make a point to do the same — only with carry out. “If we don’t support [our local restaurants] now,” she said, “they may not be here when we’re ready to go back to them.” “THINGS HAVE TO GET BETTER” Officials in Traverse City want to strike the same balance: getting as many people downtown as possible but spreading them out over time, rather than drawing big crowds during a single day, weekend, or evening. Therefore, the popular December shopping staples like Men’s Night and Ladies Night have been canceled this year. “We’re doing a lot in our office to make sure people are still coming downtown and feel safe in doing so,” said Nick Viox, downtown experience coordinator for Traverse City’s Downtown Development Authority. He said he’s not worried about local businesses’ ability to survive the pandemic amid the holiday season; rather, he said, he hopes people just realize how important it is to support local businesses right now. “I think what I would like to stress is that we should be supporting our local businesses when we eat out, when we are buying things for the holidays,” Viox said. “We are going to these great places that have really been the backbone of our downtown and the heartbeat for our community for a long time.” There are still some events scheduled for downtown that are designed to bring in people at a more staggered pace. For instance, a strolling light parade is scheduled for the evening of Dec. 12. Nonprofit agencies will set up light displays throughout the downtown region that people can explore. There will also be a weekend of holiday storefront window displays. “We’re getting creative with it, and we’re making sure that people aren’t gathering at certain times,” he said. “We’re really hoping that our community pulls through on this one.” Many downtown businesses are helping the effort by offering unique online sales through their websites, Viox said. There’s also a fundraiser on the DDA’s website featuring 20 gift baskets that will be available for bids. The money raised will go to a fund to help downtown businesses through the winter. Viox said he is more concerned about the months following Christmas than he is about the holiday season itself. “We believe that the first quarter of 2021 may be a difficult time,” he said. “Usually that’s a time of year when a lot of our businesses see the biggest dip, so they are already expecting that.” Shanny Brooke, owner of Higher Art, an art gallery that recently moved from a space on Traverse City’s Union Street to a more visible and larger location on Front Street, said she is worried about what will happen to downtown businesses this winter. With restaurants closed to dine-in business, she said the downtown streets sometimes feel deserted. “We’re all connected, and that one big component right now is completely shut down, so it hurts everyone,” she said. Brooke said she held several events in her gallery over the summer that brought in customers, but she wouldn’t risk holding an event now due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the region. On the other hand, since she moved, she believes her
