How a community of support is helping one Paso Robles boutique keep its business going

It’s no secret now is a difficult time for local businesses.

With the coronavirus outbreak forcing everyone to stay at home and away from traditional shopping or dining-out establishments, a number of San Luis Obispo County businesses have been forced to adapt if they hope to survive.

This story is part of an ongoing series looking at how businesses are coping and what you can do to support them.

Do you have suggestions for businesses that are doing exceptional things during the outbreak? Ones that you think should be highlighted? Let us know! Send your suggestions to reporter Nick Wilson at nwilson@thetribunenews.com, and help The Tribune spotlight local businesses throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

General Store Paso Robles

Location: 841 12th St., Paso Robles

Website: https://www.generalstorepr.com/

The coronavirus outbreak has hit the North County particularly hard — but one Paso Robles shop is still feeling the love from customers, even at a distance.

The General Store — a downtown boutique known for its curated selection of books, gifts and locally made spice blends and bath products — is usually bustling with spring break shoppers at this time of year. But the store has been shuttered for weeks.

The General Store closed just before San Luis Obispo County issued a shelter-at-home order, as the women who run the shop felt irresponsible keeping it open, said Joeli Yaguda, a co-owner.

“A store is a collection of goods, and people are looking at things and touching them,” she said.

Moving the store online

When the General Store’s brick-and-mortar location could no longer stay open, the boutique moved entirely online. The store began offering contactless pickup for locals from noon to 2 p.m. and started shipping items to customers who live farther away.

Employees wear gloves and masks and sanitize products before packaging them for customers, Yaguda said. Items like puzzles have been bestsellers, and the store is promoting products to make isolating at home more comfortable, such as seasoning blends and locally made lotions.

“Anyone who’s been in our store knows that we have a lot of goodies,” Yaguda said. “It would be impossible to migrate that whole thing online. So we’re doing a percentage of what we have in the store and things like puzzles that people are really hungry for right now.”

Customer support during coronavirus

The store has seen a “drastic reduction” in its typical business, but the owners have been pleasantly surprised by the loyalty customers have shown them.

“People are going out of their way to support us,” Yaguda said. “It’s been incredibly powerful to be on the receiving end of this.”

The owners’ goal is to make it through the closure without having to lay off any employees.

They’ve also received backing from their bank, their landlord and local organizations like the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance that make them feel like part of “a community that’s not going to fail,” Yaguda said.

“We feel like we’re all in it together,” she said. “We will figure things out.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM.