A Gentle Reminder to Shop Local
The Richmond Times- Dispatch reported that over 51,000 people are employed by 4,500 small businesses in the Richmond area. These boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants and salons etc. unite our community and add to the cities charm.
The pandemic has greatly affected these businesses as many of them were forced to close their doors during quarantine and were without customers for almost 15 months. This halted revenue caused inventories to stockpile. Since the reopening of stores, local businesses have had to find new ways to draw in customers in the hopes of selling their abundance of left-over product. While stores fill their racks with inventory, customers benefit as they are left with an increased number of options while perusing the merchandise.
Small businesses continue to feel the repercussions of the pandemic, while large retailers such as Amazon have seen their profits double. According to the New York Times, Amazon’s profit revenue during the pandemic increased by 220%, while small business profits decreased by 52%. Now more than ever we must realize the importance of assisting and helping our locally owned shops as they still struggle to recover from the past years’ losses.
However hard this past year has impacted everyone; this situation has brought out the creativity in people. A new lifestyle has emerged from the seclusion, which is centered around embracing family, experiences, and self-exploration. Many of us came out of the pandemic ready for a change, whether that be a new haircut or the decision to embrace a new style.
Here at The Phoenix, we also have made some new and exciting changes. We have moved the store Ruby to the back of The Phoenix and have moved all sale items to the old Ruby location across the street. Now the Phoenix is filled with even more fabulous options and Ruby has become a great place to hunt for bargains.
Finally, we have moved online, and we hope you will shop with us there if you are out of town.
Come visit our site at https://www.thephoenixrichmond.com.
We thank our patrons for their continued support through these tough times.
