Old Colorado City shops still struggling during holiday sales

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Many small businesses in Colorado Springs are still struggling to survive amid COVID-19 precautions, even with an increase in sales around the holidays.

While recent sales have been encouraging, Julie Fabrizio, owner of The Holly Leaf in Old Colorado City, told us she doesn't think the holidays will be enough to bounce back from the indoor retail shutdown months ago, and the fear some people still have for going out in public.

"When you've been in business 26 years and you don't know if you're going to make it or not, it's kind of frightening," Fabrizio told us. "You can't make up when you've been down as far as all of us have been down, but if we can maintain and hang in there, hopefully next year will be better."

Fabrizio said it hurts that indoor dining is closed, since restaurant customers usually pop into her store after their meal.

While most Old Colorado City shops are feeling the same as The Holly Leaf, some have found a way to hang tight through the ups and downs.

Crystal Seeley, owner of The Honey Cottage, says they've been blessed with online sales and new faces.

"We actually have had more new customers come and shop local," Seeley said.

Still, all of the Old Colorado City stores we talked to Saturday said they could use even more love.

"None of us are chain stores, none of us really even have two stores, so it just really stays right here in the community and helps all of us out," Fabrizio said.

"We need people down here, we need people to know about us and that Old Colorado City is here," Seeley added.