At least two businesses on Dewey Avenue are closing temporarily for the next week or so in order to recover and restock inventory after a season of heavy spending during the Route 66 Christmas Chute.
Little Bit of Country (124 E. Dewey Ave) announced they’d be closed for a week starting January 9th in order to finish rearranging their store and work on restocking with new products.
The rearranging has already begun as larger shelves get moved against the wall, and shorter shelves get moved to the center of the floor, allowing for a better line of sight from the front of the store to the stairs.
As part of the rearranging, the Glodens, who own Little Bit of Country, are closing their ferrier supplies business, which they’ve owned for 23 years. The side room in which the horseshoes and other supplies currently reside will soon be occupied by something else, but Diane Gloden declined to say what.
GiGi’s Gourmet Popcorn (12 E. Dewey Ave) also announced they’d be closing temporarily from January 3rd to January 17th as they “restock and prepare for a new year.”
The gourmet popcorn and old-fashioned candy and soda store had a great holiday season, choosing to be open extended days and hours in order to accommodate the crowds arriving for the Route 66 Christmas Chute.
While the sales were great, supply chain issues led to difficulty getting certain items restocked. Now that the craziness of the Chute has subsided, GiGi’s has decided to take a much-needed break to restock and reopen in a couple of weeks.
In a Facebook post announcing the temporary closure, GiGi’s showed their gratitude to the customers that made their year so memorable. “We want to thank you for a wonderful 2022, and an even better 2023!”
Not all business owners happy
Not all owners are singing the praises of the Christmas Chute. Brandon Mull, owner of Water Street Tattoo, took to Facebook to vent his frustration, saying that the Chute contributed to a loss of overall revenue this year.
“I understand I am not a retail business, that does not change the fact that we do good unless interfered with like this,” he said.
Mull alleges that the Chute led to a loss of $11,000 in three months.
