Shoppers were greeted with discounts, snacks, and cocktails during an evening fashion show event at Urban Cowgirl and other locally owned stores inside Stanley Marketplace.

It’s safe to say that business owners can’t control the timing of an election, or a snowstorm, or a power outage. They also can’t control all three things happening in the span of a few days in early November, like it did inside Stanley Marketplace in northwest Aurora.

An election is something businesses plan for, knowing people tend to hold on to their dollars. “They slow down on going out and traveling,” says Suzanne Dayton, owner of the women’s clothing store Urban Cowgirl. “It’s not even just our local community that’s not out and about doing anything. Travel was down for the latter part of October into early November, with the election coming up and people just feeling uncertain.”

The branches of Giving Trees, inside Stanley Marketplace, hold wishes for people from the Denver and Aurora Housing Authorities, Aurora Animal Shelter, and The Center on Colfax.

Once the election is over, Dayton says, the uncertainty is usually gone and people get back to their daily lives, “shopping and eating out and just enjoying themselves.”

That’s what she and other owners were expecting until the unexpected hit—a big Denver snowstorm, followed by two days of power outages in northwest Aurora.

Suzanne Dayton, owner of Urban Cowgirl, talks to a customer during a holiday shopping event.

“Naturally, we’re all hunkered down indoors or enjoying the snow for the first time,” Dayton says. “Then that cascaded into power outages for the whole area—not just Stanley Marketplace. Businesses in our entire vicinity were affected.”

Dayton says power was back on quickly both Saturday and Sunday, but it “definitely impacted what people were doing that day, and especially on a weekend post-election, where we were really hoping that we would start to pick up into holiday traffic and everybody getting out and about again. That really didn’t happen.”

Downstairs at Stanley Marketplace, Karina Tittjung, owner of pet supply store Bonez 4 Budz, shares a similar story.  “Between the snow, the election, and the power outages, it just seems like a big hit right now, especially on the weekends.”

Both store owners hope shoppers think about local businesses and their connection to the community before heading to a big box retailer. “These three things stacked on top of each other, and it would just be nice if you took an extra second to think, ‘Where am I headed today?’” adds Dayton.

Tittjung says support could look different for everybody, knowing not everyone can afford to shop. Attending an event, sharing social posts, or telling friends about the local businesses can help too. “It doesn’t have to be money. Of course we want sales, but it doesn’t have to come directly.”

Another way to support is being part of community events like the Giving Trees, which benefit Denver and Aurora Housing Authorities, Aurora Animal Shelter, and The Center on Colfax. Tittjung says there will be 750 tags on the trees between now and Christmas Eve. Anyone can take a tag, buy a gift, and drop it off at Bonez 4 Budz.

She’s confident people will come out and support the people who need it the most. “We’re part of this building because of the community. And they show up time and time again.”

For more holiday events visit: tinyurl.com/StanleyHolidays

Front Porch photos by Christie Gosch