Clayton small business owners innovate in the face of COVID By ROBIN KOPPEN
The Market at Three Little Birds on Main Street in Clayton has become synonymous with local and community, hosting goods from 70 vendors, most of them from Johnston County. With the first anniversary of COVID-19 upon us, Christi Burwell Thompson, shop owner, said, “It’s a good time,” in her seemingly effortless calm, cool and collected vibe. When asked why, she praised the community support over the last year. Before the pandemic, the shop was strictly brick and mortar and had never shipped a box, much less had any type of online business. What Christi had done since opening her shop on Main Street in 2015 was built a strong social media presence and anchored herself in downtown Clayton as not just a shop owner, but as a small business and community advocate. January and February are the slowest months in retail, so foot traffic was already down. With buzz of the virus and people afraid to go out in public, it became nearly nonexistent. “Staffing was also an issue,” she said. On March 17, she made the decision to shut the doors to Three Little Birds before the governor’s orders required it. The thought 8 | [ JOHNSTON NOW ]
process was that if this was serious enough to close bars and restaurants, it was serious enough. That was a Tuesday. On Thursday she and Erin Nenni, owner of Real Neighbors, and also a vendor, hosted the first live sale with about 30 people watching. “It blew up from there,” Thompson said. When it was obvious this
Erin Nenni, owner of Real Neighbors (left) and Christi Burwell Thompson, owner of The Market at Three Little Birds (right) pose for a photo in Clayton.
wasn’t coming to an end any time soon, they decided to make it a weekly event. Now 300 to 450 Birdwatchers, as they are known, tune in every Thursday night to see Christi and Erin show their latest goods and wares. There is even a group of ladies in Alaska, who became Birdwatchers via a friend in Wake Forest. These gals watched together, separately, as a COVID-style ladies’ night. The huge outpouring from the community gave Christi a sense of responsibility. “We made them feel normal and made them laugh,” she said. This powerhouse didn’t stop there.
