‘Bulk up’: Orange retailers prepare online inventory for holiday season

Small businesses in Orange have had to adapt to increasing COVID-19 rates during the holidays, normally one of the most profitable times of the year. CLARISSE GUEVARRA, Staff Photographer

The holiday season brings out the most vibrant of colors: the browns, yellows and oranges of Thanksgiving, the reds and greens of Christmas, the blues and whites of Hanukkah … and the purples of the “widespread” tier of the California county COVID-19 watchlist.  

Despite hurdles presented by increasing case rates, small businesses in the Orange Plaza Paseo are doing their best to get into the holiday spirit. A trip down Glassell Street will reveal deals, decorations and even a 1953 Shasta travel trailer nicknamed “Betty” that’s parked outside Laurenly, a women’s clothing boutique. 

The trailer was originally brought to the Orange Paseo by Laurenly owner Lauren Hernandez, all decorated with Christmas lights. Why? An employee by phone told The Panther “just because.”

Taylor Wijemanne, Laurenly’s general manager, said that the trailer has been an attraction for visitors.

“Everyone has been coming to see it,” Wijemanne said. “That’s brought some cheer around the Orange (Paseo).”

Laurenly was forced to close for two and half months from the middle of March to May, experiencing a reduction in staff and store hours. However, they were able to maintain business thanks to profits from online shopping. 

“More people are shopping at home compared to coming in, so that’s definitely something that’s been a little different,” Wijemanne said. “We’ve been here for 10 years, so our customers who have shopped with us the whole time are definitely trying to support us.”

Although Laurenly’s online shopping site has been running since 2014, many small stores around Orange have had to adjust their business model to implement that feature. Raymond Sfeir, a Chapman economics professor, said online shopping has spiked 20.6% compared to last year. 

“(Consumers) go to stores less often – they don’t go to buy a pair of pants the same way they used to,” Sfeir said. “The only way available to them is through (online) pickup, but that is not enough to get (stores) to where they used to be before the pandemic.”

With that, Sfeir claimed some of the small businesses in Orange may go out of business by the time a vaccine is distributed, due to remaining in an area in the “widespread” tier. He also pointed out factors that businesses must take into account when considering the current state of the economy. 

“Staying home will decrease consumption; but at the same time, this is the holiday season where people normally spend a lot more, so that will push the consumption upward,” Sfeir said. “Those are the two variables impacting consumption now, which are pushing in opposite directions.”

While many stores likely plan to bring in new shipments of holiday themed gifts and apparel, Laurenly is receiving an influx of normal merchandise, preparing for a spike in holiday sales.  

“We did have our Black Friday sale over the weekend, which is our biggest sale of the year,” Wijemanne said. “We always get shipments every week of new stuff, so we’re always getting new merchandise, and we always bulk up on our merchandise during this time of year.”

In addition, Laurenly is preparing for the holiday season by offering a sales rack with discounted merchandise, an additional 50% off sale and an extension of their store hours. Wijemanne said that although she has noticed fewer Chapman students in the store, she believes more consumers are trying to shop at small businesses this year more than ever. She hoped to impart one last message to Chapman students and consumers everywhere:

“Shop small,” Wijemanne said. “Anytime you shop small you’re definitely impacting someone’s life.”