Omaha, Nebraska (WOWT) – If you think it’s cold outside right now – wait until later this week.
The freezing weather could leave last-minute Christmas shoppers bewildered.
Laci Mullick owns Found Vintage Market in Benson. Laci said the harsh winter weather in the days leading up to Christmas was bad for business.
“We had a lot of husbands, and we did a lot of gift cards and stuff,” Mullik said. “But for the most part, the last week is usually pretty good for last-minute shoppers.”
Laci wants people to change their last-minute shopping clocks and shop today and tomorrow — and if the weather is really bad, she says she’ll choose to keep staff safe.
“Honestly, I just couldn’t answer the door,” Mulik said. “It’s more important to my employees to stay home and make sure they’re taken care of than me to open the door for a few dollars.”
In Spruce near 50th and Leavenworth, this road has it all. Owner Amy Sporrer has been here for over a decade. Experience shows that business tends to slow down as the weather worsens.
“It’s definitely going to slow down, 100 percent, and I understand that,” Sporrer said. “I don’t want my employees on the road in cold and bad weather, why should anyone else?”
Amy made a tech upgrade a few years ago — now, she hopes people shopping with their fingers will help replace missed walk-in traffic.
“We built the website after everything shut down during COVID in late 2020, and it’s been really helpful,” Sporrer said. “We’re now shipping all over the country.”
Sporrer admits that it was a pandemic that caused her to change her business model — and now, when things go bad outside, it might pay off.
“I resisted it for years,” Sporrer said, “but now I realize it’s a good thing.”
Both owners said they would open their doors if possible – but the most important thing was to keep staff and customers safe.
Copyright 2022 WOWT. all rights reserved.