I wanted to send a quick message, first of all to thank everyone who came out to support us over the last weekend, who waited in lineups in the cold and snow for what were likely the final in-store shopping days of the season. It was humbling to feel the support of the community and our whole team is very grateful.
The small business community has been put into a second lockdown by the provincial government, which is a crushing blow to us during the busiest shopping time of the year. So I’d like to encourage everyone to support the small businesses in their communities through online orders and curbside pickup.
Keep in mind they have stocked up in preparation for December and are now facing the reality of being closed. There are many layers to this issue. Small independent retailers have by now made a significant investment in inventory, and aside from what’s already on the shelves, we all most likely still have incoming orders from many other small brands and makers we support. Orders that were placed in anticipation, and we have the moral obligation to honour. Most of us, don’t do this alone, we provide employment to our staff whether large or small that relies on us.
So if you can, please support small businesses this season. At Pretty Clean Shop, we have an online presence but there are many who don’t, and it’s going to take them time to ramp up to have their inventory online. And of course there’s also all of those businesses whose products or services are not suitable for online shopping. You can still support them by buying gift cards for when they can reopen.
We are stronger together. And stay safe.