For all of us, the past few months have been filled with great uncertainty. When Illinois instituted its COVID-19 shutdown we didn't know what our collective or individual futures would hold. For Greer, would our small business be able to weather this once-in-a-lifetime international crisis or would we have to close our doors permanently, the tiny haven we've created just a memory?
Over the years, we have steadily expanded our website to give people who couldn't visit the shop, whether they lived one or a thousand miles away, access to the supplies and stationery we all treasure. And what we've found is that, through our website, in the midst of a pandemic, you have shown us a level of support, kindness and connection we could never have imagined. Even more gratifying is witnessing the support you've shown each other. It's been spirit-lifting to ship cards of encouragement and connection around the country, knowing what they will mean to their ultimate recipients. It's been inspiring to see the self-care you show when you order a beautiful notebook, notepad or pen to bring functional beauty to the work-from-home day or when you send a gift to make the day better for someone else.
Each post, order, email, note has buoyed us immensely even as our founder, Chandra Greer, worked to meet the challenge of maintaining Greer with her beloved team sheltering at home. Our gratitude for all of this will be everlasting. Now here's the sad part. Although Illinois is entering a brick & mortar reopening phase, that's not in the cards for us (unfortunate pun intended.) The intimacy of our shop, while welcoming during normal times, is now a major disadvantage as it is much too small for social distancing and it's not responsible to our customers, community or team to operate under these conditions.
We will continue to serve you through online ordering and shipment. If you are local, curbside pickup, via ordering through our website, is indefinitely available Wednesday through Saturday between the hours of 12 and 3pm. Our New York retail shop within Wolf & Badger will reopen on June 17 and we know the company and their wonderful team will responsibly operate with the utmost caution and safety in their spacious Soho location.
We fully expect to reopen our brick & mortar shop once we can do so safely. Until then, we will really miss the face-to-face connections we've made with so many of you, the dancing, the hugs, the laughs, the cries, the philosophical chats, but please know, we're still here for anything you need, whether it's stationery-related or not. Take care.