A step-by-step video guide for how to shop on our online store.
It's been two months since we temporarily closed our physical stores in response to the pandemic. We wanted to share what we've been doing since then.
First, we took some time to regroup. In some ways, it was a relief for the stores to be closed. There was so much fear and uncertainty, and the situation was changing so rapidly, that continuing to run a business took a major emotional effort. Most importantly, there was the public health concern, knowing that we were exposing our staff and customers to potential danger if we continued to stay open.
But at the same time, the decision was terrifying. We didn't know how long we'd be able to last with our doors closed. Like millions of other small businesses, we rely on steady sales to cover our costs and stay afloat.
This led us to make some difficult decisions. The biggest one was the decision to close our Belmont Street location permanently. This location has given us 30+ years of memories, and the hardest thing about this decision is that we won’t have a chance to celebrate those memories in person with our customers. We’ve been redesigning the North Easton location to hold more of our inventory and are looking forward to reopening it as soon as it’s safe to do so. We miss our customers!
At the same time, we're excited to share that we’ve officially launched our online store. We’ve been working on it for a while, and the current situation has given us the opportunity to get it fully up and running. We’ll be adding new items daily. You’ll find a selection of our favorite clothes, as well as brand-new toys and games to keep the kids occupied at home. Hopefully, the small pleasure of online shopping will be a fun distraction from #quarantinelife. Plus, we know that kids don't stop growing just because there's a pandemic!
We’ve also been offering other options, like personal shopping for our customers (where we video chat or send photos of items you may like, based on your requests) and customized boxes (launching soon). If you’re interested in these options and have specific requests, or if you have other thoughts, please get in touch.
Even a couple months into it, this situation is scary, unprecedented, and challenging for everyone, including small businesses. It requires sacrifices and disruptions to our “normal” lives, which will likely last longer than we initially thought. And there will continue to be uncertainty and disagreement about how to move forward. But at the same time, we see it as a way to innovate, adapt, reassess, and try new things. We see it as a chance to build back better. And most importantly, we see this time as an opportunity to take care of each other. That’s what will get us through this situation with our sanity and humanity intact. Keep practicing kindness and generosity (just as important as physical distancing and mask wearing). Try to find joy and humor in the small things. Appreciate this opportunity to pause, reset, and reflect. And support your local communities and small businesses. We’re confident that we, as a community and society, will get through this together (while apart) and come out better on the other side.