Small businesses in the Madison area are hoping for a great holiday season

MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – The holiday season is in full swing and for many people, Black Friday marks the start of the shopping season. As people shop for gifts on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber ​​Monday, local stores are hoping shoppers throughout the weekend kick off the holiday shopping season.

For small businesses, vacation buyers are key to keeping the doors open. The past 20+ months of the pandemic have taken their toll. According to a Small Business Roundtable study earlier this year, 31% of small businesses closed in 2020.

Today, stores that survived last year face supply chain issues and labor shortages.

“We ordered things in January and May that are just coming in now,” said Vicky Marsala, owner of the Red Barn Company store in Waunakee. “It was the most difficult vacation to prepare due to the late arrival of things.”

It’s hard for small businesses to prepare a store for the holiday season or keep everything in stock. It is also difficult for stores with limited space if an unexpected order arrives suddenly.

This is why Marsala suggests buying something you like when you see it, as it may not be on the shelf the next day, and ordering issues mean there may not be. be no other in the store.

Problems like this couldn’t come at a worse time for small businesses. Places like Marsala make most of their money during the holidays.

Red Barn Company Store achieves 50% of the store’s annual revenue this quarter. Being well stocked and staffed, along with a sufficient number of customers at this time of year, can make or break a small business.

“If you want your local business owner in your community to stay out there, you have to support them,” Marsala said. “These are great memories, people come in, and it’s a memory and an experience, and you can’t have that online.”

For shoppers this weekend, Marsala suggests getting what you like right now and avoiding ordering online. She says the delivery is so late that it’s hard to guarantee something will arrive on time.

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