Stockbridge – In a challenging year even one of the county’s oldest retail stores has had to adapt and change.
Williams & Sons Country Store at 38 Main Street in Stockbridge has been in operation since 1795, and at this time of year it is loaded to the gills with all kinds of items to help you celebrate an old-fashioned country holiday season. Stationery cards, jams, jellies, penny candy, candles, postcards, soaps, locally made products, fire cider, Baldwin Extracts, Norman Rockwell books, puzzles, and truly all things Berkshire County can be found on the shelves.
This store has survived for 225 years, with ownership passing through many hands. Teresa O’Brient and her husband Alan have owned the store since 2008, but 2020 has tested the survival of this venerable Stockbridge institution more than ever before.
“The year has been a struggle for sure,” O’Brient said. “We have worries about the pandemic and staying safe like everyone else. But, we have to work outside of our homes with the public.”
O’Brient explained why the holiday shopping season means so much this year. “This year with the pandemic, we had a very weak summer season, and a better than expected (but still down) fall season,” O’Brient says. “So, when you ask how important it is that we have a good holiday season this year, I’d say it’s crucially important since summer and fall were down about 40 percent.”
As for many retailers, the next few weeks will be the best chance for the O’Brients to make money until early summer of 2021.
“The way the seasonal economy works for us here in Stockbridge is that we have three seasons with the potential to carry us through the five months of the year when we can’t make a profit,” O’Brient said. “That is, we need to have strong summer, fall and holiday seasons because we do very little business from New Year’s until Tanglewood opens in the second half of June.”
And to try and make that money, the store has had to adapt and even add staff at times to meet new regulations from the state.
“We have had to add considerable safety and cleaning protocols, work with the doors open even on cold days to make sure we have good air circulation,” O’Brient said. “We have to limit the number of people in the store, of course, which means we have to try to always have an employee stationed by the door like a bouncer. We are working twice as hard for what feels like about half the money!”
O’Brient also said that they have had to get very creative with how customers can experience the store. O’Brient knew that simply clicking on a website to shop at a store like hers wouldn’t always provide the experience that makes shoppers fall in love with it in the first place.
That is when she brought a very modern solution to a very old store. O’Brient has been offering virtual shopping via FaceTime. Customers simply email her at info@stockbridgecountrystore.com to set up an appointment and then she personally walks them through the store to show them what is in stock and to answer their questions.
Of course, for those that want to see the store in person, the store follows all the state COVID protocols so it is never crowded. But if you want to shop online and you don’t need the personal tour, the store has a website for online shopping that includes curbside pick up and local delivery in Stockbridge.
The online store is also new to the country store and was launched in June. O’Brient wonders what previous owners would think of launching a website for one of the oldest stores in western Massachusetts. “Back in 1795 when the country store first opened its doors such a thing was unimaginable,” observes O’Brient.
With all of those options to make it fun, easy and safe to shop, O’Brient hopes that local buyers will continue to support her and other small retailers.
“When someone shops locally, it means a lot to the local economy. Not only are you helping to keep local people employed when you spend money in our store, you are helping our vendors (many are local as well),” O’Brient said. “You are also helping us support all the area schools, churches and cultural institutions. It’s a system — it all works together. Local dollars mean a lot to the area.”
