Tiffany Cantlin, who owns Swimbodtee, a plus sized swim suit business, sells her products online and at various pop-ups. But it’s been hard to keep the momentum going.
“I feel like people aren’t really spending as they were once before,” she said.
Like Marrero, the cost of shipping also hit her bottom line.
“Everything is going up,” she said.
Pamela Thorton, owner of Pound Cake Heaven in Yeadon, said her business survived the COVID-19 pandemic downturn. She was hoping for a respite, but said that there are fewer customers placing orders this year. To deal with shrinking sales, she has reduced her flavors from 24 to 12 .
“It’s become very tough. Very very tough. And like, I’m thanking God that we’re able to survive in this economy today. I mean, everything has skyrocketed and we have had to pivot and you know keep surviving,” she said.
Some of these businesses are going beyond just cutting costs.
Philadelphia stylist Meeka Johnson runs All Black Everything, a live shopping Instagram experience that features creators such as Indigo Stardust Candles. Live shopping is when a founder goes on social media and livestreams themselves answering questions from customers, modeling their wares and demonstrating what shoppers can expect. She said this creative way of retailing has allowed her to overcome challenges posed by overhead costs.
“A lot of brick-and-mortars are closing. You have to transition into the future,” Johnson said. “We shop live with a different Black brand from all over the country right now.”
But she keeps the collective of businesses featured on social media to the United States to keep the shipping costs and times reasonable.
“If you could get your stuff in two days from Amazon, then we want to be able to do it by at least two or three days,” she said.
Still, the swift retail business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when individuals were more flush with extra spending money, is gone.
“A couple of luxury brands are doing good but everybody is seeing a decline. And we have to be really honest with ourselves if you have a business, how to save it,” she said.
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