Emily Hays Photo
Dakoulas next to both sales counter and packing area.
Alex Dakoulas plans to reopen his Westville shop Strange Ways on May 20. He would still prefer for his customers to continue to shop online.
Strange Ways started as an online business; purchases from the indie goods store’s website still make up two-thirds of its sales.
When Covid-19 hit New Haven, it was easy for Dakoulas to lock up his storefront and transition to an online-only shop.
“Nowadays you need to have an online presence. A lot of people do research online before they decide to come in, or the online shop convinces them to come in. Maybe they are bored and want to see where all of this is,” Dakoulas said.
How To Go Digital
Helping businesses transition online has been one of the goals of Together New Haven, a pandemic-era collaboration between the city and economic development groups.
The center-city Town Green business district has taken on the task of training and guiding New Haven businesses to go digital. (Businesses that need that help can email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).)
City economic development chief Michael Piscitelli said that the new need to focus on digital marketing has helped some businesses reach beyond the customers who normally drive or walk by their storefronts.
Going online has been easier for some types of products than others, both Piscitelli and Dakoulas agreed. Atticus was an early success story for its ability to sell food and gift cards online, Piscitelli said. However, the book side of the shop has not been easy to transition.
Neville Wisdom’s studio across the street from Strange Ways.
Strange Ways works well online because customers do not need to try on the products. The main clothing item Dakoulas sells is one-size-fits-all T‑shirts.
Although some of Strange Ways’ in-person customers have adapted to getting their products delivered, others have been reluctant to wait for the shipment, Dakoulas reported. He has gotten many requests to do in-store pickup, a feature he does plan to resume on May 20 when the first phase of the state’s gradual reopening begins.
Piscitelli said that customers distrust online purchases more than in-person goods, which customers can touch and see for themselves. Ensuring the product is high-quality helps.
“The quality of the product is very important. There is a big trust leap in the first round of purchases. There are a lots of other factors [to a successful online business], but I think that one is coming out loud and clear,” Piscitelli said.
Soaps…
…candles and incense have been flying off the shelves.
Dakoulas has found good photographs of his products, Instagram and fast online customer service also help.
“Treat your online customers with as much pertinence as someone who walked right in and asked you a question,” Dakoulas suggested.
Strange Ways uses the Canada-based digital store builder Shopify. Dakoulas said it links to major payment processing apps like Apple Pay and Paypal. It also creates shipping labels for the store.
Dakoulas spends three days a week packing up deliveries, which get picked up by USPS. Much of the rest of the time is spent keeping the website up to date, answering customer questions and convincing people to buy online.
“It is so much easier to browse; you can search for key terms. People are discovering items they didn’t know we carried, because our storefront is jam-packed with a lot of small items,” Dakoulas said.
Lately, home goods like incense, candles and soaps have been flying off the shelves as customers spend more time at home, he said.
Reopening Nerves
Strange Ways owner Alex Dakoulas.
Gov. Ned Lamont has announced that Connecticut’s Covid-19 hospitalization rate continues to decline, non-essential retail stores can reopen on May 20.
Like other business owners allowed to reopen their stores, Dakoulas is anxious about what that date will mean for him. He plans to follow the rules put in place by the state for retailers who want to reopen. All employees and customers will wear masks. Employees will disinfect the store more often. Fewer customers will be allowed inside.
Dakoulas said that these protocols make reopening “pretty safe.”
“I feel a little nervous. I would love it if people continued to buy online. If you can order online, I would say to do that,” Dakoulas said.
