COVID-19 has affected everyone around the world since the pandemic was declared in March of 2020. Many small, locally owned businesses have struggled to stay afloat as stricter guidelines are being put in place.
Some stores however, like Un-Wine-D, have thrived in this new environment of people staying at home, providing a fresh experience and a great example to other local businesses trying to push through this pandemic.
Un-Wine-D is a wine-making business located in the ever-expanding east end of Kingston, Ont. It’s a small store, tucked away in the Rideau Town Centre, that has had three owners since its original opening in 1979.
For the past three years it has been owned by Nora Burton and her partner, Fiona Kelly, with Burton being the main business operator. The store sells wine and beer making kits. It also supports and sells local art and food.
They offer an in-store wine-making service that is unique to Ontario, where the customer must sprinkle the yeast and be present during the bottling. This gives the customer a new, hands-on experience in creating something they’ll enjoy.
Un-Wine-D is a wine making store in the east end of Kingston, Ont. [Photo © James McTaggart]
A way to Un-Wine-D
“We had a thriving business before this started,” said owner Burton, “once this hit … I was swamped. And I’m still swamped.”
Burton has had to hire extra help due to the spike in demand. She believes a huge factor of the business’s boom is the fact that many people are staying at home.
And, many people are consuming alcohol.
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, more people are drinking due to lack of a regular schedule and stress. Along with that, the province’s health and safety guidelines have been forcing restaurants to close. Because of this many people found that buying wine or beer –at places such as the LCBO– is far more expensive than making it themselves.
One of their bigwigs showed up at my door a couple weeks ago and wanted to know what my secret was … I said, ‘I don’t know; I’m just making wine.’
Nora Burton, Un-Wine-D
Combine these factors with a passionate owner, a strong social media presence, and more people moving into the area, Un-Wine-D has been able to grow and become more well known. Burton says the store’s sales have gone up almost 70 per cent from this time last year, attracting the attention of the company who makes the kits.
“One of their bigwigs showed up at my door a couple weeks ago and wanted to know what my secret was … I said I don’t know; I’m just making wine,” said Burton.
It’s not just wine
Other than hiring extra help and shortening their hours so Burton wouldn’t have to stay late, they have expanded their ‘Shop Local’ section. They carry local artists’ work, featuring someone every month, and Burton has found that many people are coming in just to see the art and support local creators. People are looking to see where they can spend, and without local markets or craft shows, places like Un-Wine-D are giving that space for artists and buyers to connect.
One example of a business using this space to their advantage is Sticky Forks Apiary, located in Elginburg. Due to the lack of vendor shows and markets, which makes up approximately 30-40 per cent of their revenue, it has been difficult for them to gain community exposure or their regular revenue stream. By selling at Un-Wine-D they have been able to offset some of these losses as well as reach a customer base they had not been previously exploring.
Burton believes that this increase in local support will persist after the pandemic is over; “I think it is a learning curve for a lot of people who didn’t recognize that there was so much locally made stuff.”
Businesses like Un-Wine-D; which give a space for people to shop locally as well as a fun and new experience that is a cheaper alternative to bigger companies, and gives a high quality end result, are able to thrive in a time where people are forced to stay at home.
Owners, like Burton, who are passionate and can connect with their community, bring their companies forward and are a leading example on how to survive a difficult, and often boring, time.