The National Retail Federation says shoppers plan to spend an average of $220 this Mother’s Day, $16 more than they planned to spend last year. Local businesses are hoping those sales will help them recover from a difficult 2020.
At Sugar Rush Boutique in Camillus, owner Melanie Gallace said she carries everything you need for a mom with a sweet tooth.
“We try to keep everything geared toward sweets and confections. We have freeze dried ice cream, we have pie crust cookies," said Gallace.
She opened the store in 2019 as a place where shoppers could find gifts for special occasions and baking enthusiasts could attend workshops. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
"We had to hit the brakes,” said Gallace. “It was devastating to us. We couldn't gather people any longer, and that's when we had to make a quick decision of what to do to keep the doors open."
The shop started doing curbside pickup and creating “do it yourself” kits to stay in business. However, this year, workshops are starting up again, and things at Sugar Rush are looking a little sweeter.
"People are out. They're buying. They're shopping. They're coming into the store,” said Gallace. “They're looking around. They're making impulse purchases again."
Adrianne Kompf, owner and main designer at AMK Floral, said her business usually focuses on weddings and events. Last spring, when the pandemic put the brakes on big gatherings, she had to get creative to bring in Mother’s Day business.
"We had hand tied mixed bouquets with spring flowers,” said Kompf. “We had kits for moms and daughters to do together."
Kompf said she’s continuing to make Mother’s Day bouquets this year, and her business is getting back on track now that events are being rescheduled. She said everyone can be a part of the community’s recovery.
“Everybody has felt this pandemic in some way this past year, whether they’ve had it themselves, they’ve had a family member that’s had it, their businesses have been affected by it,” said Kompf. “Just support everybody locally. If you can’t get out there yourself and buy something, check the internet. Check with friends. They can definitely get you links to a lot of these small businesses that could definitely use your help.”
