INDIANAPOLIS — As Christmas 2020 approaches small business owners like Mike Angel are hoping customers make an effort to shop local.
"It's always been important for people to shop local, but this year obviously with COVID-19 it's more important than ever," said Angel.
Angel and his business partner, Patrick Burtch, own Square Cat Vinyl, a record store, coffee shop and event venue, along with a neighboring new flower shop slated to open this week. Angel says his Fountain Sqaure businesses are just two of many hanging on by a thread thanks to the pandemic.
"COVID has dropped our sales at least 60% from this last year," Angel said.
The inside of Square Cat Vinyl has been off limits to customers since the start of the pandemic. That means no sales from coffee, no live events, and their record sales have been limited to online only, since customers have to touch the inventory to find the right record.
The store's extensive music collection is now the main source of income. "We've got a little bit of everything, we've got rock and roll, hip-hop, soul, funk, R and B, and Classical hidden somewhere in there," Angel said.
With Christmas less than a month away, Angel is hoping sales on the store's website will carry their business through the winter, which even without a pandemic is the slow season for restaurants and retailers. His request is that you consider a local spot, whether you're holiday shopping online or in person.
"That would ensure that we stay alive a little bit longer at least. I think right now, everyone is just, the game plan is to make it to spring. Obviously, it's going to be warmer, hopefully were closer to a vaccine and closer to consumer confidence being up," said Angel.
All of Square Cat Vinyl's records are available for sale online at: https://www.squarecatvinyl.com/
