Randolph County, NC - Local antique stores and gift shops faced challenges early on during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most had to close temporarily because of health restrictions but learned to cope and, sometimes, develop new ways of doing things to keep visitors safe in the Heart of North Carolina.
Such was the case with Angie Vestal of Mill Town Market in Randleman. She closed her store on March 23 and did not reopen until the week of Memorial Day. Thinking the COVID curve would flatten in a couple of weeks, Vestal used the time to get caught up with projects. Meanwhile, she expanded her Facebook Live videos presentations from her store, walking around to show viewers what she had.
“My online sales skyrocketed,” she said as customers saw things they wanted. “Sales kept growing and I asked my vendors for more stuff. It was hard for them to find the items, but we worked through it.” Vestal now does daily live videos even as her store is now open. She talks not only about products and crafts but also about upcoming local events such as fundraisers. “Community involvement is very important to our survival, especially during the business climate we are facing,” she said.
Blue Horseshoe Antiques & Collectibles in Ramseur was closed for a month and a half in the spring but is now open with safety precautions. Located in a former grocery store, Blue Horseshoe’s aisles are wide and vendor booths are socially distanced. Customers are required to wear masks, said owner Vicki Caudle.
“We follow the governor’s orders, and our customers are patient and appreciate that they have a place to go,” she said, “our sales have maintained.” Caudle held an open house last year before the pandemic and offered a food buffet for customers. This year her open house provided stations with individually wrapped snacks for safety. “We’ve been very fortunate,” she said. “Other smaller shops can’t socially distance.”
Stephen Pierce of Flea Marketeers in Downtown Asheboro said the business was closed for a couple of months and the previous owner decided to sell. Pierce had been involved with the store for about 15 years and he chose to purchase Flea Marketeers in partnership with Pam Pritchard.
After reopening in mid-May, he said, the store has “gone back to pre-COVID levels. People are compliant with the mask requirement. We sanitize every morning and have traffic patterns marked on the floor requesting that customers remain six feet apart.” Pierce said the business lost some of its vendors during the pandemic but gained some from another antique store down the street that closed.
Melvin’s Variety in Downtown Randleman never closed since many of its products are considered essential, such as hardware and sanitation items. Aaron Hardin said his family bought the store from the original owner in 1976 and “have been pretty blessed and hold our own.
“We’re trying to do social distancing and keep things sanitized and clean. We do our best to keep everybody healthy. The supply chain is our biggest obstacle. But we’re blessed.”
-Larry Penkava, Contributing Writer
