Shopping small looked different in 2020, with side effects of the coronavirus pandemic falling squarely on the shoulders of many small business owners.
But small businesses in Lincoln have seen a resurgence of support from the community this year, and that continued on Small Business Saturday, which follows Black Friday annually and encourages consumers to shop local.
Beyourself boutique is one example of a local business that has seen more customers this year, and the clothing store had good turnout on Small Business Saturday, according to manager and co-owner Lindsey Melichar.
The boutique was started in Omaha in 2005, and opened a Lincoln location in 2010 at 2140 Winthrop Road in the lower level of a salon, with racks of trendy clothing and accessories filling the room.
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Melichar said there’s been a decrease in traffic since the pandemic began, but they expanded online in 2015, which helped them pull through the initial shutdowns.
“It’s been tough, with COVID, but we’ve definitely felt the support of the community,†Melichar said. “I think people are starting to miss that customer service and miss interacting with other people; it’s definitely picked up this year.â€
Just across the street at 2211 Winthrop Road, Cooper & Co. Home + Gift also saw shoppers taking advantage of Small Business Saturday.
Family founded, owned and operated, Cooper & Co. specializes in home decor and design services. Natalie Lundgren, a manager, part-owner and daughter of the founders and owners, said the pandemic actually helped grow the home decor industry.
“Everyone’s spending more time at home, they realize ‘Oh, we need to update our living room,'†Lundgren said. “Lincoln is such a great community to be in because everyone loves supporting local here.â€
Cooper & Co. gets all of its decor from showings, rather than ordering through a catalogue, to ensure each piece featured in the store is hand-curated.
Shane Olson, also a manager, part-owner and daughter of the owners, said they go to the showings, test out the pieces and look for quality items to put in their store.
“People love coming in here, they know our family, they know they’re going to get great service,†Lundgren said.
Beyourself boutique similarly gets its pieces through immediate buys, rather than preorders, which Melichar said helped the business avoid supply issues that others have faced during the pandemic.
To businesses like Cooper & Co. and beyourself, support from the community is important year-round.
“We appreciate everybody who makes it out, makes it a point to support small businesses; it means a lot to us,†Melichar said. “We work really hard to provide what people are looking for on a daily basis."