11/29/2024
A shift in consumer habits after the pandemic was the main reason I had to close my beloved shop Oliver & Chatfield. The urgency to shop small and shop local waned and a constant flow of “influencer” material on social media has led to a steady increase in overconsumption of unnecessary products from Amazon and other big box stores, and has ultimately directed money away from small businesses. *Edited to add: another big reason for my closure was an unsupportive, ego driven local government who’d rather insult business owners on Facebook than spend time making the city of Newburgh a welcoming destination for visitors (aka customers who spend money locally).
When we beg you to shop small and tell you we appreciate our customers, I promise it’s sincere. Most of us aren’t getting rich off of our tiny ventures, but we love it! So shop small, shop local and help keep our businesses (and dreams) alive!
