Bouncers and Ice Cream Sundae Bars: Thoughtful Retail Innovations Throughout the Pandemic

Driving into Rhinebeck, New York, the ice has encapsulated even the most mundane tree branch with beautiful crystals of frozen water canopying over Route 9. While its beauty may be the product of a dangerous winter storm a few days prior, and its existence ready to be erased by an unusually sunny day, the beauty of the ice is there to be admired even if it is cautious but fleeting. The same feeling surrounds the different waves of the pandemic for many Rhinebeck business owners. The pandemic introduced completely unforeseen challenges, but through it all came retail innovation and memories that evoke nostalgic humor.

Nestled into Montgomery Street, Pause: Dog Boutique saw many changes throughout the pandemic. Sammy Schreiber, owner of the Boutique, saw the first hit of the pandemic as an opportunity to innovate her business platform, and include different retail points they hadn’t before.

Schreiber said, “During the first wave we were only open for curbside pickup and we actually ran the whole store out of this bike over there! It was actually pretty fun and we kept different events in our schedule to keep our customers entertained. One of the most memorable events was The Doggy Sundae Bar. It was the type of thing we couldn’t necessarily do without the unprecedented circumstances. We served a base scoop of turkey, beef or chicken. Then, let our furry guests pick their choice of toppings between beef, chicken, turkey or salmon gravy.” Schreiber looked back on the events with nostalgic appreciation for her ability to include excitement into an otherwise bleak time.

Now, her operations have moved off the bike rack, but she is still facing issues. Schreiber said, “During this current wave, we have been more affected than ever because of the supply chain issues. Even though we are constantly ordering dog food, leashes, and treats, out of a huge order we are maybe getting half of our order. Our most popular design is our rope leash, and we ordered a restock before Christmas, then didn’t get our order in until about a week ago. So, during the holidays, when we should be selling the most, we didn’t even have the product to move off the shelves.” An empty leash rack stands vacantly in the corner, becoming the return of the ever-so-popular rope leash.

Just next door on Montgomery street, the vibrant displays of the Paper Trail Gift Shop visually shout to window-shoppers. Retail assistants Danielle Denarais and Fiona Thomas have stood with the colorful store throughout the ebbs and flows of the pandemic.

Thomas shared, “When we closed it was so sudden, but we kept the excitement up for our reopening. Our boss planned an elaborate grand reopening party in the summer of 2020. We had expected crowds of people to be lining up waiting to get in. So, in preparation for the frenzy, we had to put all these rules in place to keep safety as a top priority. Little did we know, only two customers would show up to the ‘grand reopening.’”

Denarais interjected, “We were initially all disappointed and confused, but I think people were just not ready to shop yet. Our momentum just kept building up and we eventually did use all the COVID-19 regulations we have outlined. But, then came the angry people.”

Thomas instinctively chuckled looking back on the Fall of 2020, “When we implemented the line system and capacity limits people were really upset with us! It got to a point where we implemented a “bouncer” system and this person’s job would be to kick people out when we were at capacity and let new customers in when we weren’t. It was a really emotionally taxing job for a lot of people, because while working the door, people would get yelled at by customers. Now, it is kind of funny to think of a bouncer guarding a gift shop, but at the time it felt quite serious.”

Denarais and Thomas, who both moonlighted in the bouncer role, were happy to report that the line system has been tossed out.