During challenging times, brick and mortar establishments are doing their best to pivot quickly, update policies to stay safe, and still serve their communities. As many of our lives have gone virtual in the past few months, these establishments are figuring out how to balance their physical space with a digital presence to be there for their customers. Here’s how five local stores and venues have shifted operations since March.
People’s choices in books reflect the times, and Astoria Bookshop has been keeping up. The store has been supplying people with books about plagues, systematic racism, and collective action, said owner Lexi Beach.
It has always had an online presence, but now social media is crucial for communicating with customers, she said. Open since 2013, Astoria Bookshop not only sells books for all ages and interests, but it also regularly hosts in-person community programs like book launches and story time. These public events have moved to Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook Live, and those that require pre-registration are on Crowdcast.
About 90 percent of sales are coming through its e-commerce platform, and many customers order over the phone, Beach said. Booksellers are offering recommendations via Google Hangout or Instagram DM, which is new for the store. It has an active presence on Instagram and Twitter, shares updates on its newsletter, and posts longer thoughts on its blog.
The shop closed for six weeks and reopened to staff (who were comfortable going in) in May. Since then, customers still can’t go inside — they must order books for delivery or pick up purchases by appointment. Beach says they’re working out the details for private browsing by appointment.
“The message we hope people remember is that if they continue to spend a little money at the places they love, there will be a day in the future where they can once again spend an afternoon with us, as well,” Beach said.
She appreciates the community supporting the store. The last couple of weeks of March “were among the busiest days we ever had,” as people stocked up on books and jigsaw puzzles. Since then, customers have been ordering and watching events from all over — even Puerto Rico.
When the pandemic started much of the clothing, gifts, and shoes this feminine boutique sells weren’t listed on its website.
Luckily, owner Nicole Pannettieri had already promoted an employee to e-commerce manager in February. They worked quickly to get 95 percent of the store merchandise online with better photos and descriptions. She said they plan to continue to improve the site and make it more user friendly with a chat box for better customer service.
They also moved quickly to offer a new product — personalized care packages. Customers write a description of the recipient, and the staff curates a custom package and ships it out. These were a huge hit, she said, and she plans on offering more special packages around the holiday season.
The store is open for shopping, but with even stricter policies than required. Six people are allowed inside at a time, and after a product is tried on it goes into quarantine overnight
The Brass Owl has always hosted pop-ups featuring local artists, and those have moved online for now with huge success, Pannettieri said.
“It gives the artists an outlet to sell their work and keep their businesses going,” she said.
People have been buying puzzles, even more Queens and Astoria merchandise than usual, and a lot of feel-good gifts like mugs and candles. She noted that baby cards are also up 76 percent since last year.
Customers also supported the store earlier this year by posting on social media, buying gift cards, and writing reviews.
“Not only did this help us to financially stay afloat, it also gave us a boost in morale to keep fighting,” she said.
She’s giving back to the community by making donations to several nonprofits, selling products in the store that raise money for charities, and continuing to run an Instagram account called @shopsmallastoria that supports all small retail shops in Astoria.
While COVID-19 has been a challenge for engaged couples, it has also impacted the vendors that bring weddings to life. Floresta, a flower shop in Long Island City specializing in vintage and eclectic floral arrangements, saw couples postpone their events.
As some weddings were downscaled to intimate gatherings, guest lists were reduced, and venues were changed from large halls to spaces like backyards, Floresta was ready.
“We are experienced in producing events outdoors so there wasn’t a large shift in our savoir-faire,” said Juan Carlo Bermudez, head designer and owner.
Floresta is open but limits the number of staff and guests in the store and encourages people to order online and over the phone for pickup and a fast transaction. They’ve also been getting more delivery requests than usual, especially over the summer.
While large events are mostly off the table for now, clients are continuing to request flowers or plants for their homes as they spend more time inside.
“They want to make their place a small sanctuary during these trying times,” Bermudez said.
Bright palates were popular over the summer and moody warm colors are in style for the fall. Still, many clients want something cheerful and uplifting, no matter what the season.
“In order to accomplish this, we can use softer warm colors like pastels especially peaches, soft yellows, or cream to brighten a fall palette,” he said.
“We continue to see people intently support local businesses by buying or requesting services from people in their local community.”
Before the pandemic hit, Gamestoria hosted weekly game nights for Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons RPG, and offered tables for open play.
Since March, just a year after opening in 2019, owner Kevin An had to pivot to only retail and jumpstart the online store.
“It was pretty dramatic for us to move away from weekly in-store gaming events,” An said.
He’s been focusing on being a “one-stop resource for any tabletop gaming needs.” The store is expanding its product lines, carrying new accessories, games, figurine paints and brushes.
There’s been an increase in demand for two-player games, so his staff started reaching out to manufacturers directly to stock what people wanted. Customers have also been looking for hobby paints and games for young children — “They exist!” he said.
Gamestoria is still open, with the number of customers allowed in the store limited. While in-person play isn’t happening, the gaming community is staying in touch online. The Magic players are active on social media, An said, and he’s hosted some virtual tournaments. The store staff has also been showing off new games on Instagram.
“One day I would like to be able to have events safely again,” he said. “While that day does not seem to be anytime soon, it will be great to be able to see everyone.”
He said members of the community have been supportive, asking how to buy gift cards or ordering from out of state. He also feels support from community members like Pannettieri, owner of The Brass Owl, who spearheaded a network of local businesses.
“Just knowing who they are, that they are still out there and being able to follow them on social media helps us remember we aren't alone and we are all in this together,” An said.
Q.E.D.
On any given day, Astoria residents could go to Q.E.D. for “after-school” activities like a comedy show, a movie screening or a class. The performing arts and adult learning space hosted over a 100 events a month.
“Our mission is to provide affordable and accessible entertainment to a diverse audience,” said owner Kambri Crews. Although, she is uncertain how affordable classes can be after the pandemic and about the future of Q.E.D..
Crews has pivoted — expanding the retail shop, offering to-go drinks, and trying outdoor and virtual events.
“We did some Zoom shows – it was not worth the time and money and the mental taxation,” Crews said. “It just wasn’t rewarding.”
After July 4 weekend, when artistic institutions were allowed to host outdoor shows, Q.E.D. started hosting distanced comedy shows in its backyard, where everyone had to buy tickets in advance and wear a mask. She said it seemed like something the community needed, and everyone was respectful of the rules.
“It worked perfectly,” she said. “It was really nice … people were buoyed by it.”
Six weeks later, it was no longer allowed as per the State Liquor Authority's guidelines. Since then, she worked with other comedy club owners to petition Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allow them to resume modified operations and spoke at a press conference. The petition has been sitting with the governor since September 13, she said.
Crews looks forward to hosting her annual bazaar in November starting on Small Business Saturday after Thanksgiving. Usually she has 20 vendors selling out of booths inside — this year will have less sellers and doors and windows will be open. She’ll also sell the remainder of her inventory, which includes things like books, puzzles, and stationery. If the bazaar is successful, she’ll run it through the holidays.
She said she can host trivia outside next spring, as that’s allowed. In the meantime, she has been active not only advocating for New York City comedy clubs, but she also used Q.E.D. as a volunteer headquarters for supplies during the protests, and she’s helping with community voting efforts.
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