Support Your Small, Independent Retailers

What everybody is doing to help flatten the curve is the right thing, annoying though it may be. This National Geographic article shows how different cities responded to the 1918 flu pandemic (referenced by this interesting Twitter thread), and it’s fairly clear from the charts: those cities that responded quickly reached the peak more quickly; and if they maintained their closures long enough, the number of new infections continued to decline; some, like Denver, saw resurgences, though. It’s tricky to know when the right time to end these measures is, and I don’t envy anybody in these decision-making positions, since the data is still coming in and making decisions on still-developing information means you’ll get haters no matter what you do.

I bring all this up because another few weeks of “non-essential business” closures is going to wreck a lot of small, independent retailers. Even the seemingly larger, more successful ones—I posted last week about Sid Mashburn’s forthright post about their 20% off sale—stand to lose a lot. The truly small ones, like the ones in your local community, could lose everything.

Everybody is talking about all the different businesses and individuals that will suffer and posting various ways to help them out—bars and bartenders, local restaurants, grocery store workers, you name it. So just add this to your list: If you’re secure in your position and ability to provide for your family, think about your favorite small, independent menswear retailer and make a purchase to help give them that cash.

This new Ring Jacket was tempting me a few weeks ago at my local retailer Haymakers & Co., but given that I already had a winter gun club check jacket and we were very soon heading into warmer weather, it wasn’t a priority. Instead I bought a glorious linen jacket from Spier & Mackay, which I was super amped about. But when Nashville’s non-essential businesses were asked to close two weeks ago, I sent the linen back and bought the Ring Jacket. Spier & Mackay is itself an independent retailer, so I wish I could afford both but right now I cannot! In fact Spier has been running some sales on various product categories (currently shirts and trousers 25% off with code DRESS25), no doubt for the same reason everybody else is. (By the way Haymakers has no e-commerce but if there’s something from a brand you want that they carry—100 Hands, Ring Jacket, Drake’s, for instance—they’ll price match and ship it free; details on this page).

No Man Walks Alone in NYC has been giving a percentage of profits to Meals on Wheels the last two weeks in order to contribute to the needs of those with food insecurity—Greg posted Sunday they’d sent over $7,000 in donations so far over those two weeks, and he intends to keep that program going.

There are lots more, no doubt, so tell me what other independent retailers are you supporting right now? Who else is doing charity work like NMWA? In what ways are you helping individuals, small businesses and others during this unique time? Comment below!