DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Seasonal slowdowns are part of life for Door County’s small businesses, but each store is finding its own way to adapt.
We spoke with local businesses to learn more about how they're adapting this winter season, watch below:
"We need to address a few things and retool our business model and our approach a little bit," Bear Gross, owner of Harbor Market Grocery Store, said in a video posted on Facebook.
Harbor Market Grocery Store in Baileys Harbor announced Sunday it is closing until further notice.
"After Labor Day, we were expecting a changeover in the seasons from seasonal residents and tourists to a lot of our locals coming in.... and I think what happened is it just didn't pick up as quick as we thought," Gross said.
Gross says the temporary one-week closure will give the store a chance to refocus on customer needs.
"We're gonna be changing a little bit. We're gonna start accentuating our deli, provide more deli sandwiches, grab-and-go, take-and-bake options," Gross said.
Steven Deller, a community development specialist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has worked with communities like Baileys Harbor.
He says small changes, such as offering more grab-and-go items, can make a big difference for local businesses.
"If they can adapt and adjust, then they are much more likely to be successful down the road," Steven Deller said.
Deller says businesses must find creative ways to serve customers, though some face obstacles that make change harder.
"Rent up in Sister Bay is not cheap, and when you only get one person a week that’s buying anything, it just doesn’t work out mathematically," Aurora Adlebush, the owner of Aurora Apothecary, said.
Staffing shortages forced Aurora Apothecary to close both Door County locations. Adlebush is now concentrating on her Fox Valley stores.
"When my husband ended up working four days a week at the Fish Creek store, that's when we really decided," Adlebush said.
Deller says Door County businesses that try new ways to serve customers can help keep the local economy thriving.
