A winter storm warning through Sunday is forcing Omaha small businesses to adapt their holiday shopping strategies, with many pivoting to online sales to offset potential weather-related closures.
Melanie Smith, an Omaha shopper, completed her Black Friday shopping early to avoid the incoming snow.
"I usually love doing Cyber Monday because obviously you don't have to go anywhere and you can stay in your pajamas," Smith said.
Smith said she finished her holiday shopping Friday at Village Point, noting she doesn't always participate in Black Friday deals but wanted to beat the weather.
Not all shoppers are deterred by the forecast. Some residents remain committed to supporting local businesses despite the storm warning.
"No way. I'm from Milwaukee, so this ain't nothing. We're ready. Let's go. We like to buy local and whatnot and support the community," Corey Burkowski said.
Sarah Spooner, owner of Four Sisters in Omaha's Rockbrook Village, said her business is prepared for potential weather-related disruptions. The store plans to remain open if conditions are safe but has backup plans in place.
"If we have to close, we have to close, but we'll be able to make up for it online as well — we do a huge Cyber Monday sale as well," Spooner said.
Four Sisters is offering multiple shopping opportunities throughout the weekend, including in-person discounts for early shoppers, storewide deals for Small Business Saturday, and expanded online promotions for Cyber Monday to accommodate out-of-town customers.
Spooner said her business has experience managing weather challenges and has developed strategies to maintain sales during closures.
"We've dealt with a lot of bad ice storms and snowstorms and we've had to close early, but we make up for it in other days — flash sales, online deals. It means a lot when people come out and support us," Spooner said.
Despite potential weather disruptions, Omaha's small businesses remain optimistic about the holiday shopping weekend. Spooner encourages customers to shop local in-person when possible and take advantage of Cyber Monday online deals.
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