Cathy Dobson
Amid unprecedented closures some local businesses have learned to reinvent their operations despite the coronavirus pandemic.
And a few, like Sarnia Produce in Point Edward, are even thriving and adding additional staff.
Demand is huge, says president and CEO Dean Troiani. When many of his commercial customers were forced to close in mid-March Troiani lost 75% of his business.
But a quick decision to focus on residential customers turned that loss into a 50% increase this month.
“It’s incredible and I’m happy, businesswise,” said Troiani. “But it is a two-edged sword. I’m not happy that it’s because of COVID-19.”
Sarnia Produce put three new systems in place to ensure customers and staff are protected from the virus.
The store is open, but with only four customers at a time allowed into the relatively small retail space.
Customers are offered sanitizer and baskets and carts are cleaned regularly. Fewer than 10% pay with cash. Checkouts with debit or credit are done with a cashier behind a Plexiglas barrier.
Secondly, Sarnia Produce is offering home delivery using the independent “On the Dot” service, owned by Paul Hartman.
“We intended to do delivery in the future but in light of COVID we moved our plans up a lot,” said Troiani. Ordering is by phone or email. The website was updated last week with inventory and prices.
Delivery costs $10 in Sarnia and Point Edward; $15 to Bright’s Grove and Corunna. Demand in rural Lambton was almost immediate, with delivery at slightly higher prices.
Finally, Sarnia Produce is also doing no-contact curbside pickup.
The store is getting more than 600 calls a day with staff working 24/7 to fill orders. The number of full-time workers has grown from 12 to 17.
“The first time we posted online that we would deliver and do pickup the post had 54,000 views in four hours,” Troiani said. “There is a need for this.”
Crystal Tilson, owner of Crock A Doodle, is also adjusting to COVID-19. Her ceramics business relies on people getting together socially to paint at the Murphy Road store.
When that was shut down, Tilson began offering kits with figurines, paint and brushes, ordered online and delivered contact-free by her.
“This is definitely all new to us,” she said. “But it’s working alright. People are looking for something to do during isolation.”
Crock A Doodle sales are down about 75% and Tilson has laid off her staff of six. “But I’m managing to keep our heads above water,” she said.
Sipkens Nurseries is another local business managing in the pandemic.
This is prime time for the greenhouse where about two million young plants are ready.
“We are dealing with a highly perishable product,” said garden centre manager Brian Sipkens. “In most cases, there might be only a two-to-three week shelf life.”
Sipkens has implemented a successful curbside pickup system and is delivering more product than ever, either the same day or next day. Staff who normally landscape in spring are finding work delivering product instead.
Shopping and ordering is done online and employees cart orders to the rear of customer vehicles and leave.
“After about a week we found we were keeping pace with sales from last year,” said Sipkens. “But May is boom or bust in this business, so we’re taking one day at a time.”
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