As business owners brace for winter storms that limit downtown parking and leave sidewalks blanketed with snow, more plan to use social media to keep customers informed or alert them to snow-day promotions.
“The weather definitely impacts our traffic, so we do a social-media blast that includes storewide specials,” said Stephanie Sebastianelli, owner of Burlap and Bourbon, a contemporary men’s store on Spruce Street. “I like to keep the store open and get people in here.”
Wednesday’s snowfall provided a glimpse of the challenges downtown businesses face when a winter storm hits.
Though most shops remained open, downtown streets were mostly vacant. Small piles of a slushy snow mix blanketed curbside parking spots in downtown Scranton.
During the last several years Christian Pilosi, owner of Eden — a Vegan Cafe, has witnessed how heavy snowfall can significantly reduce available downtown parking.
Days after a February storm dumped about 10 inches on Scranton, icy winds froze snow piles that extended about three feet from the curb. It left a large part of the city’s metered parking virtually inaccessible.
“When it’s ice mounds, people can’t park their cars there,” he said. “It hurts businesses.”
During storms, he posts on the restaurant’s Facebook page to let people know if its open. A comment posted Wednesday read: “It is snowing, but the roads are only wet downtown so come on down for lunch ... we are here for you.”
For Ashley Paschke, Wednesday marked the first snowstorm since she opened The Post Home and Body on Adams Avenue in September. As a newcomer to downtown, she emphasizes the importance of using the store’s Facebook page to promote products or spread messages to consumers.
On Wednesday, she posted: “It may be snowing but we are open (until) 5 p.m. Come grab a gift for your Thanksgiving hostess.”
“I think a lot of people like being able to check to see if a store is open, before driving out there,” Ms. Paschke said. “Plus, it lets us interact with our customers, so hopefully they will stop by during the snow.”
Contact the writer:
miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter