OLD COLORADO CITY, Colo. — In what's normally a busy time for holiday-themed stores, for Julie Fabrizio, it's the last holiday season where her store's doors are open.
Fabrizio owns The Holly Leaf, which is closing December 30 after 40 years in business.
"I would not have stayed 28 years in this business if I didn't love it," Fabrizio said. "And that's part of the heartbreak of closing."
Fabrizio blamed her store's closure on a variety of factors, one of them being a lack of business in the offseason.
"From January to September, there was so little business. It was frightening. It was so scary," she said.
She also said a shift by shoppers to buy online hurt her sales.
"I am a people person. I would never sit behind a computer all day and try to do stuff like that. I just couldn't do it," Fabrizio said.
Julie never created a website, but along Colorado Avenue, more online shopping means stores are adjusting.
Zach Ray, one of Eclectic Co's several artists, showed me the store's website. You can't order on it, rather, he says it's a tool that gets shoppers through the door.
"This is really a place where you can come to get an understanding of who is in store," he said. "Each artist almost becomes a marketer for us."
A few doors down, General Manager Jenni Riddle says Centennial Cuts sells online and ships to all 50 states.
"We've actually gone more digital this year."
She says the attention this local beef has gained nationwide has helped business tremendously of late.
"They like our local beef. They like our local products. They want to buy Colorado," Riddle said.
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