GREENSBORO, N.C. — Many of us have a place that makes us feel good. It might be a special room in the house or maybe the hammock in the backyard, it could be your favorite coffee shop or even an island off the Florida Coast. Anna Troxler has a “happy place” in a business park in Greensboro, “This is my passion, my baby,” said Troxler.
That place is Threads Boutique, Troxler and her sister opened the store about three years ago. The boutique was doing well until the COVID-19 pandemic triggered her business and many others around the state and the country to shut down. Closed for more than a month the store was back open today, “It was like a breath of fresh air you start a new chapter,” said Troxler.
A chapter she hopes will be much better than the most recent one. April sales at the boutique were almost non-existent aside from a few online orders. Troxler and her sister hosted Facebook parties to drum up some support and sales but it was not nearly enough to cover the bills, “The boutique isn't out of woods yet, but it’s gaining speed, we are able to pay off some debts,” said Troxler.
Open Friday for the first time since March, Troxler was thrilled with the turnout and customers coming by to support the business. She said customers were buying not one but several items which certainly helps her out.
Southern Swag Farmhouse in Archdale has also been closed for all of April and opened today for the first time in more than a month. The store sells clothes and charming accessories to decorate the home, “We very excited and I know our customers were excited as well,” Owner Jennifer McGee said.
The quaint shop was able to offset the loss of in-store purchases by quickly building a website and selling items online. McGee said if not for those sells it would have been bad. While it may work to her advantage, in the long run, there were some tense moments a couple of weeks after the Governor ordered many businesses to shut down, “Absolutely there were some uncertain times in my business,” McGee said.
If Friday was any indication it appears people are anxious to get back out and shop or at least visit stores. McGee said there was a steady but safe stream of people most of the day. In fact, many of the customers at her store and others in the area were not wearing masks. McGee did have hand sanitizer and wipes outside the front door and there are signs to encourage social distancing, “It was a wonderful day, our customers showed up big time for us,” said McGee.
With Mother’s Day only a couple of days away the timing of reopen was certainly a positive. Both shops hope to get a boost over the weekend.
For Troxler, this is just one step in what she hopes will be a second sooner rather than later. She and her sister also own Luxe Salon Suites. The business has 17 independent hairstylists that rent space. With hair and beauty salons still shut down, that means several more weeks of lost profits.
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