‘Super thankful for them.” Small Tri-Cities shops say this could keep them in business

JD’s Time Center in downtown Kennewick has been a Tri-Cities mainstay for 36 years, and it plans to be around for a few more thanks to loyal Tri-Citians.

“We have really good customers that just love our store, and are buying from us instead of a big box store,” said Merrianne Door, who owns the gift and watch shop with her husband, Jim.

Businesses throughout Tri-Cities echoed that sentiment, saying the community is what has allowed them to keep going during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to keep them open through the holiday shopping season.

While sales haven’t been booming in many cases in Tri-Cities, local owners told the Herald on Black Friday they are hopeful but cautious heading into Small Business Saturday and the holiday shopping season.

Customer loyalty

Amanda Kuhn, the owner of The Pink Pearl in The Parkway in Richland told the Herald that they are able to pay their bills — but sales aren’t super profitable.

“We are thankful for whatever we get at this point,” she said.

To stay open, Kuhn has gotten creative and routed customers to her online shop.

“Because of capacity, we are only allowed four people in the store at at time,” she said. “If it’s raining, I can’t ask my customers to stand outside waiting for 1 1/2 hours,” she said.

Kuhn was having a 40-percent off sale for the entire store on Black Friday, and said that plenty of customers were buying online and coming to the store to pickup their orders. She gives customers five days to try on items at home and return them if needed.

“It has been rough, but people have been amazing,” Kuhn said. “I would say we have the best local supporters. We have a great group of women who are great about supporting us. We are super thankful for them.”

The owner of JD’s Time Center in downtown Kennewick agrees that it’s because of the Tri-Cities community they’ve been able to make it.

“It was really hard for the first while,” Door said. “We barely had any income for four months.”

Door said last year, the closure could have been the end of the businesses, but they are doing OK right now.

“We have been pleased to see how many people have been trying to support small businesses,” she said. “I see comments from people trying to support small business but don’t even know what’s out there.”

Door said that they are trying to catch up on sales and that this time of year is really important to them because they carry many stocking stuffers and eclectic gifts popular for Christmas.

She said as long as they stay status quo, and don’t have to close again she has the motto, ‘This, too, shall pass.”

“We have great neighbors who have supported us,” said Door, pointing to Sassafrass Children’s Boutique children’s store and Rockabilly Roasting on either side of their shop who keep sending customers their way.

Big sales events

Meanwhile, the Northwest chain Fred Meyer, owned by Kroger, continued with its decades-long tradition of having a sock sale for Black Friday with adjustments for COVID.

“Safety has been our No. 1 priority,” Jeffrey Temple, the director of Fred Meyer’s corporate affairs told the Tri-City Herald.

In years past, it was common for people to line up waiting for doors to open so they could dive into half-priced socks.

Customers could get coffee, doughnuts and a gift card — if they were one of the first 100 people through then doors.

“We did some logistical things in the store to spread things out,” Temple said.

He said all stores were directed to spread out tables, gift cards were distributed throughout the day and employees were assigned to crowd control.

There were no coffee and doughnuts, and the sales will go throughout the weekend instead of limited to a few hours.

However, one Richland Fred Meyer employee who asked not to be named contacted the Herald to say that the sales floors Friday were flooded with people and that the policy to wear face coverings was not well enforced.

“We are all concerned for our own lives and our loved ones that we have to go home to after being exposed to this,” the employee said. “Kroger has made it very clear that this sock event is the only thing that matters.”

The employee told the Herald the colleagues for weeks have been calling the store’s Black Friday event the “Fred Meyer Black Friday Super Spreader Sock event.”

While Temple didn’t know specifics about the Richland store, he said that the claim didn’t seem accurate because the chain’s leadership had been maintaining contact with all the stores.

He had received feedback that customers felt the annual event was well planned to minimize COVID risks.

COVID risk

Washington state restrictions because of the COVID risks have kept some businesses from reopening to walk-in customers since the start of business closures in March.

“When we first found out we could open, we were ready to rush in — but looked at COVID rates in the community and decided to hold back,” said Gus Sako, longtime owner of The Octopus’ Garden and Luna Fish stores in the Uptown shopping center in Richland.

His stores have taken a rare move by being open but in a modified manner. Employees are happy to bring out items for customers for “show and tell” browsing outside, and customers can make purchases for front door pickup.

“It’s a blessing and curse to have many people in the medical community for customers,” said Sako, who said he has been relying on advice from those working on the frontlines and watching COVID numbers carefully in making decisions about reopening.

While he said he knows the pandemic situation is dire, he and staff are working furiously to arrange the stores in a way he feels will minimize risks to his customers and and staff. He plans on opening Luna Fish and The Octopus’ Garden for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28.

He said people have been very understanding.

“It’s the plan to stay in business,” Sako said. “Even if it’s just out of stubbornness.”