The Greater Sydney lockdown has seen many businesses in Berry reduce their opening hours due to slower trade, but shop owners are keeping their "spirits high".
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Reducing their trade hours, the co-owners of the pyjama and gift emporium Bliss & Co Bonnie Armstrong and Leigh Scully said they are grateful for support from locals during this challenging time.
"You really notice being this close to Wollongong that we're not getting our day trippers," said Leigh.
"We've had this business for 20 years now, we know we can weather a storm. But we're on the fringe of the lockdown and it's really hard.
"At the same time you don't want to sound like a brat. We know that there are boutiques in Wollongong that have only just opened and we can't imagine how they'd be feeling.
"We've also had so much support from locals and we're very lucky."
The Berry Tea Shop and Festive Treasures are among those that have reduced their hours.
Bonnie and Leigh said the decision to continue to stay open with reduced hours, instead of closing the doors, came down to being a store with seasonal stock and needing to "pay the rent".
"We're very aware our stock is seasonal that if we closed, we would lose it," said Leigh.
"And closing won't pay the rent. Certainly by keeping your doors open, you're just trying to do what you can do to get anything.
"We've also already committed to our spring and summer stock. We don't want to close and then come into the new season with leftover.
"So we've got 50 per cent off racks, which we've never done in July. But we need to move it."
Owner of Candleberries Rai Schornegg said he has also decided to keep his doors open as he "still has rent to pay" but now keeps the shop closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
"At the moment the lockdown has impacted us terribly. We've had six sales today and that's it. That's not going to pay the rent," he said.
In comparing last year to this year, Rai feels this lockdown carries more uncertainty.
"Last lockdown felt more short and sharp and like the whole state was in it together," he said.
"This one is just as it looks like it's never ending."
After a tough year and a half, Rai said he is grateful for local support.
"We've been having a lot of people from Kiama and Gerringong come to Berry who normally don't because it's usually so packed, which is very exciting for us."
A silverlining to the quieter streets, Leigh and Bonnie said locals have been excited about finding ample parking spaces in Berry.
"You can actually get a park in Berry now, which is very rare," said Leigh.
"We are seeing more people from Shoalhaven Heads and Nowra coming down who get excited about parks," said Leigh.
Having overcome obstacles like the bushfires and the 2020 lockdown, the business owners are optimistic they will bounce back.
"The fact that we are a tourist destination means that we are feeling optimistic," said Bonnie.
"So as soon as people can travel, we will get to the other side. We've just got to tread water for the moment."
"After the last lockdown ended in 2020, we had our busiest weekend of trade which was just amazing. So I look forward to things going back to normal again," said Rai.
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