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Dover small businesses push shopping local at holidays: Why it matters

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Dover small businesses push shopping local at holidays: Why it matters

DOVER — Helen Leavitt, co-owner and founder of Auspicious Brew, touted as the first licensed kombucha brewery in New Hampshire, is clear about the challenges facing small businesses as the holiday season arrives.

“It’s hard. It’s extremely hard what small businesses are doing. The holiday season is our last chance before things get a little quiet,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt said Auspicious Brew, located in the Washington Street Mills, is investing in specialty merchandise, gift cards and seasonal kombucha flavors for the holidays, such as The Alchemist (with apple, mugwort and nutmeg) and Spice Rack (with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, clove, star anise, cardamom and black pepper).

“If folks don’t show up in reception of that … it can make or break a [small] business,” said Leavitt.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed serious challenges to New Hampshire small businesses. In Dover, small business owners are banding together to promote the importance of community with shop local initiatives.

Small business partnerships to rebuild after pandemic

Doug Glennon, co-owner of Jewelry Creations, Susan Hanna of SEH Studios and Roni Watkins of My Country Story — all located on Dover’s Central Avenue — banded together in 2019 to encourage shopping locally. Their organized efforts intensified following the pandemic, in a push to get people back out and engaged in the community.

“No one was coming downtown anymore. [We] saw a need downtown to bring people together, and highlight there are a lot of businesses,” said Glennon.

The Dover small business collaboration plans events in the city to encourage shopping locally, such as Shop Small Saturday which will be held Nov. 30. It falls the same day Small Business Saturday is promoted nationally. In Dover, many businesses downtown will be handing out bags with promotions.

First Fridays are another city-wide initiative: small businesses collaborate on a theme to encourage people to be part of a community. This month’s theme is Plaid Friday, and on Nov. 29, plaid wearers will receive a promotion from some local shops. Jewelry Creations will have a sale on Plaid Friday, and double loyalty rewards on Small Business Saturday.

The group of small businesses are currently working to establish a nonprofit called Communitively to boost their efforts. Approval has been granted from the state to be registered as a nonprofit, but approval from the IRS for tax-exempt status is pending.

“This is kind of creating the best of the holidays,” said Glennon. “From a social perspective, we sort of lost that … at times, we should be out. Community is what makes Dover, Dover.”

Auspicious Brew

Leavitt said because Auspicious Brew is located in Dover, it’s busier in the summer and slower in the winter, increasing the need for a strong holiday season.

The business opened mid-pandemic in November 2020, an extremely challenging time. To survive, Auspicious Brew focused at that time on curbside pickup and wholesale to restaurants, said Leavitt.

Community is one of the biggest draws to Auspicious Brew, said Leavitt. Since integrating a sit-down restaurant back into their operations and hosting live music events, it’s become a “safe space” for many people, Leavitt said.

The kombucha bar has a mission of inclusivity, including being LGBTQIA+ friendly. Leavitt said it wasn’t their initial mission, but it evolved that way because of her and her partner/co-owner Jay Leavitt’s identities.

“It’s touching people feel that sense of community safety, especially from the queer community. We don’t always have a space where we can dress the way we want, etc.,” Helen Leavitt said.

Auspicious Brew works to indirectly support other small businesses by carrying other small businesses’ products in their refrigerated section, in addition to clothing and merchandise.

“It’s not just us thriving. We’re really trying to be a catalyst for the local economy,” Helen Leavitt said.

Lickee’s and Chewy’s Candies & Creamery 

Opened in 2018 in the 200-year-old Cocheco Mill, Lickee’s and Chewy’s Candies & Creamery is medieval-themed specialty candy store. It welcomes customers with magical decorations, and is bursting with imported candies from around the world and handmade chocolates, candy apples and more.

The shop is based on an imagined tale by owner Chris Guerrette of two characters: Lickee, a knight, and Chewy, a dragon, from the land of Carmalot. Their figures are sprinkled throughout the store, a giant approximately 12-foot suited knight at the door, and a large metal dragon, Chewy, is tucked away near the bay windows in the rear of the store. 

Guerrette said he has tried to curate the store for people to have a “magical experience” when they visit.

Lickee’s and Chewy’s will be participating in Small Business Saturday. Guerrette said they will be crafting their own batch of butter beer, with a free mug, plate and cookies upon purchase. He expects about 200 people will attend.

“As a small business, we really need things like Small Business Saturday to convince people to shop local, not online or big box stores. We need this season and (for people to) shop for those really high-quality items you’re not going to find anywhere else,” said Guerrette.

Downtown businesses supported by the city

Multiple departments of the city work to support downtown businesses, and work to preserve a “vibrant downtown,” said James Burdin, the city’s business development coordinator. 

Burdin works in the Business Development Office alongside Reid Bickley, business development specialist, whose main role is to support small businesses by connecting owners with commercial spaces and to present solutions to problems such as staffing, marketing and challenges to operational costs. 

A big challenge small businesses have run into since the pandemic is the trend toward online shopping.

The office has been working to assist businesses in finding a “new normal” since the pandemic when many businesses were forced to close. Burdin said he is hopeful for the future of small businesses.

“I think there are several trends that are providing hope for downtown businesses. To compete, they are selling experience. [People] want to feel connected to something. As a business community, we can offer that,” said Burdin. 

Margaret Joyce is president of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce, which has approximately 400 members, including 200 or so small businesses. She said the chamber works with them to help create a “culture of success.” The chamber hosts events for business owners to connect with each other. Joyce said the shop local initiative is crucial for the community.

“Keeping it local helps everybody. It has a larger effect than just going into a store and buying a gift. It’s spreading the dollars throughout the economy,” said Joyce.

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