You cannot keep a good community down. Pierce County business owners channel their energy and creativity to find ways to continue to support their community and employees, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent Goldman Sachs survey of 1,500 small business owners revealed 50 percent of them expressed they would not be able to stay afloat for more than three months with the current state of restrictions.
Undoubtedly, this pandemic is crushing commerce in ways few were ready to handle. Yet while sales are plummeting in many industry verticals, many business owners are moving their commerce to an online landscape, in order to weather this storm, keep their business afloat, and support the livelihood of their families and their employees.
Stocklist Goods & Gifts in Tacoma is an iconic shop that many Tacoma locals have described as a place to support local artists and crafters. They are coming up on their 4th anniversary and pride themselves in a place that provides a unique shopping experience for gifts and treasures not seen before. “We sell all sorts of treasures,” says Liz Van Dyke, co-owner. “We do like to support local and carry local makers when we can, but we don’t limit ourselves to that. The idea is that you can come into the shop and find floor to ceiling displays to find something for the person you’re shopping for.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they had to make some changes and adapt. Van Dyke explained they were somewhat uniquely posed to respond to the pandemic. Launching an updated website had been one of their 2020 goals, and their assistant manager, Devin, had been working tirelessly to get more items on the website.
“We really had to adapt and change the way we did business,” says Van Dyke. “Pretty quickly we saw the need for an option for curbside pickup, so that is something we offer people if they request it. We are also offering free local delivery and that’s primarily in a 20-mile radius range of Pierce County.”
Van Dyke feels there is an opportunity for us all to work together and support one another. She urges business owners to reach out to others having success and start a dialogue—for encouragement and strategy.
From the start, Stocklist Goods & Gifts has seen tremendous support from the Pierce County community. “We are continually amazed by the support of our community, and we feel really fortunate to be in the Tacoma area because of how people care about each other and support each other,” reflects Van Dyke.
During this time, Stocklist Goods & Gifts is offering curbside pickup and free local delivery for local customers. Interested in curbside pickup? Email liz@stocklistgoods.com after placing an order and they will arrange a pick-up time.
For more business resources and direction during the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber.
