Online orders have started to flow to a Dubbo boutique after it featured on a social media campaign promoting drought-hit regional businesses to metro consumers, its owner says.
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Lazy Sunday Lifestyle's wares have appeared on the Buy from the Bush page that has captured 30,000 followers in its first eight days.
Grace Brennan, who founded the movement to encourage city consumers to spend out west, said businesses posted on the page were experiencing "huge spikes in sales and selling out of the items" that were featured.
Lazy Sunday Lifestyle owner Kate Griffiths is thrilled with the reaction her clothing, homewares and gifts store has received in only a few days.
"I've had a couple of online orders and so many new followers, a hundred or so new followers, at least, which is great, because if they start following us, then they see all the stuff coming up for Christmas, and hopefully they continue to buy, not just now," she said.
Ms Griffiths, who opened her store in 2017, said the drought was having a huge impact on retail.
"Pretty tough, as tough as it can get, really," she said.
"Especially in my type of shop, a boutique shop, because it isn't necessity items, so to speak.
"I would say well over 50 per cent of my clientele are from farms and rural-based industries, and being from out west myself, and having family in Nyngan and growing up at Narromine, I suppose my whole network of people I know are affected by the drought."
Buy from the Bush has Christmas as a focus, encouraging people to buy gifts from small businesses.
Ms Griffiths said the October to December period was "the most crucial" to her type of store.
"Christmas basically sets you up for the following year, because January, February and even into March is quite slow, so... in October, November and December, you really need to make the bulk of your income for the year in retail," she said.
"So then you have more money to buy more stock and so forth and grow your business."
The store owner said cooperation was a positive she had seen coming out of the "horrific drought".
"We've got people like Grace coming off their own bat helping small business and it's become a really nice community feel, in the whole central west," Ms Griffiths said.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
