CATASAUQUA, Pa. (WLVT) - The doors to Violet’s Closet are back open to customers to explore discounted clothing racks and toy shelves. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Catasauqua thrift store to postpone in-person shopping, but owner Mariama Crook said the coronavirus has turned out to be an unexpected business blessing.
"It was scary heading in, but we flourished in the midst of the darkness," she said. "Even with people being home for so long, they were cleaning out their closets, cleaning out their homes, cleaning out the garages, and me and my husband were just picking up, picking up, picking up, picking up donations."
Violet’s Closet is one of several businesses that are part of a new initiative called "Shop Small 86," referring to the number of days that non-essential small businesses in the Lehigh Valley were required to close.
"That is an eternity for businesses, the unknown and how they've had to try to pivot and adapt to get their marketing out there and say, 'Hey, we're still here,'" said Jessica O'Donnell, executive vice president of affiliated chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The campaign is in its third week. The idea is an 86-day-long period of supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs like Brad Maier. The State Farm insurance agent opened to the doors to his Allentown agency in January -- only to close them two months later because of the pandemic.
"As a first time business owner, the first thing going through my mind is 'How do I make this work?'" he said.
Maier admitted it was a challenging time for his business and the ones around him at the Allentown Towne Center.
"Even in the shopping center, it was empty," he said. "It was empty for four months. There were four or five cars in the parking lot. That's it."
But while the doors were closed, Maier adapted -- just like so many other businesses -- and found a silver lining.
"We had an opportunity to have a lot of great conversations because people were home, and people were looking to save money," he explained. "With insurance, I think it's one of those things, you don't always look at it every year or every month."
Working virtually became the new focus for small businesses. Alan Sylvestre, the owner of a professional photo and video company in Emmaus, said he lost all of his wedding shoots for the year, but he managed to offer other services like editing -- safely and remotely.
"People could record a lot of stuff at home, and I could compile them all together from my house," he said. "That took an uphill swing real fast, and then, the next thing I knew, I was so busy. I didn't even have time to breathe. I did not stop working up until this last week."
Sylvestre said the businesses that are getting hurt the most are the well-established, family-owned local stores.
"People sometimes walk right by them, and then go to the chain or the franchise on the corner, because the item might be $20 cheaper," he said, "but if we remember that you're also investing that extra 20, 30 dollars on the item into your local community."
It's an investment into newer businesses like The Refinery Fitness in Coopersburg. Co-owners Matt and Brielle Baker opened their studio in November.
"We actually had gotten to the point where we were closed longer than we had been open," Brielle said, "but we're happy to officially be back."
The studio offered virtual and outdoor classes to members and transformed into a socially-distant workout space.
"Pre-COVID, you would be in teams or with a partner, and you would have a portion of the class where you're doing something together," Brielle said. "Being in COVID, it looks a little different. It's socially distant, but we still have that team aspect."
Teamwork is both a value in the gym and a hallmark of the Shop Small 86 campaign.
"There's nothing like it," Brielle said. "Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem -- all coming together to support these small businesses that are trying to accomplish these big goals, these big dreams and we need each other to survive."
"At the end of the day, if something big shuts down, you're gonna need those little community and little places to do those things for you, because we all have our talents," Crook added. "That's what brings us to what we do with our business."
"We're here, Lehigh Valley!" O'Donnell said. "We want us to thrive, and we are going to thrive throughout this entire time and we're going to come back stronger -- but we have to do it together."
To learn more about the Shop Small 86 campaign, join the official Facebook group page HERE.