Buffalo business owners prepare for potential shut down

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — With the threat of entering a red zone hanging over business owner’s heads, they’re still having to prepare for the busiest shopping season of the year.

With Erie County’s infection rate remaining high, state and local leaders have warned we could see closures similar to the ones we dealt with last spring.

This would mean local retailers would be closed during the holidays.

“I think we’ve all been preparing,” said Thin Ice Gift Shop owner and Elmwood Village Association President Therese Deutschlander. “We’ve all had it in the back of our minds [closing again] is a possibility, especially after it happened in March.

Phil Machemer, owner of Revolver Records Inc., says he’s been speaking with his employees to prepare them for a possible shut down.

“We’ve decided what we’re going to do in case of the red zone, and we have a game plan and will just kind of go with it,” Machemer said. “I mean, sales are not going to be what we’re used to this time of year, but we’re going to make the best of it.”

Even if business do have the shut the doors to their shops, many are opting to turn to the web instead. Deutschlander says many Elmwood Village business owners who didn’t previously have websites created one during the initial shut down.

“We’ve always had a website at Thin Ice, but all of the other business I know, if they didn’t, they do now,” she said. “We kind of had that warmup period where they were able to figure out their websites and hopefully everyone is focusing on that.”

Ultimately business owners say although it’s been a tough year, they’ve continued to find ways to adapt and give back to the community.