An Independent Long Island Retailer Adjusts To Curbside Business

BABYLON, NY — Jacqueline Di Donato, the owner of a small women's clothing boutique in Babylon Village, isn't a stranger to doing business through hard times. During 15 years of being open, Pandemonium Boutique on Deer Park Ave. weathered an economic recession, Hurricane Sandy and now the coronavirus pandemic.

When Long Island entered Phase 1 of reopening, independent retailers were eager to open their doors but the logistics of how to make curbside retail work had to be invented on the fly.

"It definitely is a rollercoaster ride when it comes to emotion and trying to navigate through this," Di Donato, who lives in East Northport, told Patch.

"We are trying to do something that has never been done in history and it truly is difficult. Having said that, the community has come out strong and are supporting us so much."

Pandemonium eased into reopening: at first staff would bring items out to the curb for customers to retrieve but now that the pandemic continues to ease up, Di Donato and her employees are handing packages to customers outside and allowing in-store pickup.

Since the day the shop closed, she has done live videos from inside, posting items, and an employee has been modeling clothing and accessories live from her home. She is also offering FaceTime shopping calls, discussing a customer's preferences and then setting up a custom rack for the virtual shopping call. She only worries the constant piecemeal communication with customers means she might miss a request or inquiry.

But the curated, personal attention of her boutique has allowed Di Donato to compete against chain retailers, and she's taking the same approach to this altered way of doing business.

"We have done more curbside business that I could have ever dreamed we would do. People are going through so much and the fact they reach out to us makes me incredibly grateful."