Beauty to-go: Raleigh business switches up on customer service during COVID-19 pandemic
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Amid COVID-19, restaurants have switched to curbside pick-up to survive after shutdowns put restrictions on patron capacity inside.
Tracey Trellis is the owner of Trellis Beauty in Lafayette Village in Raleigh. The local business shifting their normal hands-on customer service to that of the restaurant-to go.
"Before COVID-19, we were soaring. We were growing day after day, week after week, month after month," Trellis said.
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The clean beauty shop has been open since 2017, and has done so well that the shop expanded their brick and mortar space to include a full steam bar and facials.
But COVID-19 has business anything but usual.
"Currently, I would say that we're down 50 percent," Tracey said of her sales.
The pandemic has forced business owners to get creative in how they generate revenue.
Taking a nod from the restaurant industry, Tracey introduced beauty-to-go.
It's as simple as it sounds-order and pay online, the store puts your order together, you pop in, grab your bag, and go. Tracey will even bring it to you in your car if you don't want to venture outside. She will even deliver within a 10-mile radius of the store.
But, beauty-to-go isn't all the shop is offering. "We're going to be launching virtual skincare as well as makeup." That means talking about products, skincare goals, and tips on how to take care of your skin at home.
To the community that continues to shop local during a difficult time, she offers a thank you.
"I don't want to get teared up and emotional, but at the end of the day... we have to come together as a community and support each other," Tracey said. "I am so grateful. Not only we as small businesses struggling financially right now, everybody is in the same boat, so for you to want to even just spend that $50 with Trellis means so much to us right now."
