Holiday Shopping in a Store That's Tumbled Through Time

With the holiday season in full swing, shopping madness comes along with it. Although this year, holiday shopping surely looks different as stores have limited capacities, social distancing guidelines, and signs reading: “No mask, no service.”

With big brand stores either completely closing for Black Friday, or being at such limited capacity that you’ll have to wait in the line going out the door, perhaps this is the perfect year to stop, slow down, and shop local/small. Small Business Saturday on November 28th is the perfect time to do so. If we look around, there are so many small and local businesses that make our town special. We just need to share and listen to their stories.

So in spirit of that, I decided to interview Tara Wyatt, owner of one of my favorite shops downtown: Tumbleweeds. Here is our conversation:

Nicole: How long has Tumbleweeds been in business in Niantic?

Tara: 48 years 🙂

Nicole: What is your usual age group/do you target a specific audience? Along with that, have you noticed a comeback in the interest in music, culture, etc. from the 1960s, 1970s, and more, especially among teens? Why do you think this is, and has it caused an increase in business/expanded your audience?

Tara: Usually, we see people of all ages, our store attracts all generations. Over the years the Baby Boomer generation has been our core audience, but we have certainly seen a change with younger generations (X and Millennials) shopping more. I would say there is an interest in all things "vintage" by the younger generations, and we certainly fit that vibe here. I am noticing more teens and college students buying more music from more past decades of all genres. We are seeing more parents and grandparents bringing in their children and grandchildren buying music on CD and Vinyl. It is a gift to see 3 generations all coming in together and shopping with the same excitement over music and tie dye!

Nicole: When are your other increases in business, are they in the tourist season, etc.?

Tara: We see more people here in the summer months. We are absolutely a summer tourist town. We also see a bit of business during this time of year for the holidays, but will be restricted due to covid. We are open 7 days a week, and weekdays are quiet and great for shopping with NO crowds 🙂

Nicole: How has your business been impacted by the pandemic?

Tara: Due to Covid we have had to restructure our website to be able to offer more music online, rearrange the shop slightly to accommodate more space, and we have even added a small second location just around the corner at 9 Methodist St to accommodate more space

Nicole: Why do you think small businesses such as your store are valuable to the community and what can people do to best support small, local businesses such as Tumbleweeds, especially during current times?

Tara: Small businesses are the core of the village here in Niantic, they draw people to the town. Our community is fortunate to have each other, we really work to make people's experiences the best when they visit. Small businesses have more personality and charm, and when you shop in one you are actually directly supporting locals making a living, doing what they love. Our pockets aren't deep, but we have enough to get by and be content. When you shop here, not only are you helping me and my family and my employees and their families, but the friends, family and locals who make a LOT of our gifts and jewelry and tie dyes...and all the families abroad who work in the small family run fair-trade factories that make all our beautiful imported boho fashions, gifts and accessories. It is truly the little things that matter in a small business, compared to huge box stores and online shops like Amazon, who only care about profits. We actually want you to love and enjoy what you buy here. If you haven't been shopping or eating local, this season more than any other, we appreciate it.

Hearing from Tara was such a nice experience, and it inspires me to seek out these stories from more small businesses. There are so many places which we take for granted. We drive and walk past them, we window shop, and we purchase from them; but we need to do more advocating for them. Something you can’t say about large corporations but you can about small, local businesses is that each one has a special story, if only we choose to listen and share it. I believe we need to make that choice more often, because we need to appreciate the people who make up the places we’ve grown up in before it’s too late and they face the threat of closing.

While online shopping is the only option for some people this year, we urge you to take a look at the small shops in your area that may not be fully expanded to an online platform. Perhaps the best gift this holiday season is the gift of shopping in a place with a cause and people you believe in, and maybe even a place with a little bit of history.

Tumbleweeds' website (cover photo found here): https://tumbleweedsct.com/