Two lockdowns and reduced passing trade has hit local businesses hard.
Now, one Nottingham firm is showing its resilience and has organised a Christmas Fair to showcase the best of what local companies have to offer.
Helen Najuk, co-owner of Nottingham-based furniture firm Zoo Interiors, said: "We've decorated the heck out of our space in Castle Boulevard so we can bring some Christmas cheer and have 20 confirmed local businesses ready to get Christmas shopping off to a flying start".
The Christmas Fair, which takes place at the Castle Boulevard premises on Saturday, December 5, has attracted a cross section of firms ready to set up their stalls and sell.
Everything form home fragrance firm Herma May, to local bakery Ugly Bread Bakery, Pooch & Paw dog products, and home grown Castle Rock Brewery.
Helen added: "We're a family firm, we know a lot of people locally and small firms. We've always helped each other but this [the pandemic] has 100% brought us closer together. We all help each other - I've had loads of advice from fellow businesses on running the fair and making it covid safe.."
It's been a tough year for Helen and her partner David Pownall who run Zoo Interiors so finding ways to be innovative in their promotion is important.
Helen added: "It has been a struggle this year. It's been one thing after another. We had to close our doors for the first lockdown but we didn't furlough any of our staff - we worked throughout putting our business online - but this second lockdown has been worse.
"We sold a lot of garden furniture in the summer but obviously that's not a big seller in winter months when we concentrate on our interiors stock. But there's been a big drop in trade and we're not even covering costs with around two sales a week [over the lockdown].
"But you've just got to carry on and we can ride out the storm and open our doors [Wednesday, December 2] when we'll be carrying on with the plans we had for Black Friday, which we were obviously closed for. We've got some promotions and will have all our Christmas stock on sale."
Dedicating indoor and car parking space to the fair, Helen added: "We've never done anything like this before, so I'm a bit nervous, but our showroom has been refreshed and transformed during lockdown ready to welcome customers back, with some fabulous new home accessories, furniture and gift ideas and we can't wait to host our Fair to start December in style!"
