Store manager Abigail Silverman-Claridge updates The Bagelry’s Twitter account, advertising $.99 coffees and $4.99 Reuben sandwiches. Perfect Tan employees send emails announcing their annual spring break specials. In the decorated plate glass windows of Town and Campus, manager Richard Manny hangs signs for specials on sweatshirts.
The 2008 economic recession showed a decline in private consumption for the first time in nearly 20 years. Now, two years later, while Wall Street is slowly on its way to a recovery, some of Durham’s downtown businesses are still fighting for students’ spending dollars.
As these small downtown businesses have been coping in the midst of the recession, managers and employees are using creative ingenuity, sales strategies and social media to keep customers, both unexpected and regular, students and locals alike, coming back.
“Everyone is tightening their belts,” Silverman-Claridge said, refering to the recession. “We want everyone to do better, and good business is good for the community.”
If there is one thing she can depend on, its regular customers at her store, Silverman-Claridge said. It is local patrons buying daily bags of bagels and mid-morning coffees that keep downtown businesses like The Bagelry afloat amidst the economic downturn.
The Bagelry, like many downtown businesses, is turning to social media. With the help of her student employees, Silverman-Claridge recently set up a Twitter account for The Bagelry to announce specials and to thank the dependable patronage of Durham locals.
With the widespread blackout in late February, Silverman-Claridge said that their updated status announcing power and free wireless Internet access brought in floods of distraught customers, and their business, in from the cold.
“It’s a service we provide as a business for a small community,” Silverman-Claridge said. “We love to foster community in Durham.”
Another popular gathering spot in Durham is the artsy café Breaking New Grounds, which is across the street from The Bagelry. Owner Todd Govoni is also upgrading advertising through social media. Breaking New Grounds has both a Twitter account and a Facebook fan page where customers can browse through monthly specials, find contact information and receive updates on their favorite downtown hole-in-the-wall café. Govoni said that the store’s popularity as a hangout spot for students draws in regular business. Recent slam poetry performances, musician appearances and art circles, put on mostly by local artistic students, attract new patrons.
“Everyone’s impacted by the recession,” Govoni said. “Its up to businesses to roll with the punches and get creative, get coverage.”
Dee Mitchell, manager at Hayden Sports, is trying to do just that. What disturbs her most is store sales records that she recognizes as an indication of the downturn in the economy.
“What we’re seeing is that the number of sales are equal, but the amount of money has decreased,” Mitchell said at the register. “What that tells us is people are being more careful with their money.”
Hayden Sports is promoting through its seasonal sale specials, like buy one get one t-shirts and $5 clearance t-shirts.
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