Snowed in? You can shop online while still supporting local businesses

Snow and ice shut down many Cape Girardeau businesses during last year's holiday shopping season, but the sales were still rolling in at Philanthropy -- even though its Broadway storefront was closed.

The women's boutique, with locations in Cape Girardeau and Franklin, Tennessee, had opened an online store a few months before, and owner Bridgett Kielhofner says the website has generated business and also spread the word about Philanthropy's mission.

"It did help to have that web store. That's where shopping is going," she says. "I could shop on my phone if I wanted to."

The brick-and-mortar store donates 10 percent of all sales to charity, while the online store donates 100 percent. Kielhofner says this is a big part of what makes Philanthropy different and able to thrive in the boutique industry -- even in the midst of a Southeast Missouri ice storm.

"It's difficult to be a boutique. You have to have a special niche to survive in the boutique world," she says. "What it's about for us is giving it all away. That's where it's at."

Philanthropy isn't the only store in downtown Cape with a web presence.

Claire Bruce started selling her handmade and vintage jewelry at www.sloanandthemis.com before she even decided to open her brick-and-mortar store on Main Street.

"It always just seemed to make sense," she says. "There are 7 billion people in the world outside of Cape. Why not sell to them, too?"

Bruce upgraded her site after about a year and now has two people working with her on the site's photography, graphics and maintenance. She says the site helps drive traffic to her downtown store, but also reaches customers outside the area -- Nashville, Atlanta and Houston are big markets for Sloan + Themis, she says.

Shoppers near and far seem to like that the online shop is open 24/7, she adds.

"You would be shocked by the number of sales I make before 7 a.m. and after 11 p.m.," she says. "Also, a lot of people shop while at work, so the hours of 3 to 5 p.m. can be busy as well. With a few clicks or even on a phone, shoppers can make their purchase and have them shipped all over."

At Bloom Studio & Gifts, owner Michaelyn Ross uses bloomstudioandgifts.com as an online store and to keep an updated list of special events, such as Bloom's popular "Paint Parties."

"My hope is that customers like that they can still shop local even when they're online," she says. "Customers can shop from and ship to anywhere in the U.S. As a business owner, an online presence helps to gain customers from afar while still catering to local clientele."

Local customers can have their orders shipped to the Cape Girardeau store at no cost, and then have their items gift-wrapped in the store, also at no cost.

Cape Girardeau also sees plenty of visitors, and Kielhofner says having a website helps Philanthropy keep in touch with out-of-towners.

"We get a lot of people who come in to visit our store from out of town and want to continue to buy stuff from us," she says. "Online, we can reach a bigger customer base, even people who can't stop at our store very often."