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The exterior of Griff Goods' bricks and mortar location. Photo credit: Abby Griffin
Owner: Abby Griffin
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your small business.
I am an Alabama native, and moved to Downtown Opelika right before returning to school at Auburn for fashion design in 2015. I was immediately connected to this place and the people who inhabit it and decided to put roots down. Griff Goods began as a destination for sustainably sourced clothing and goods, focusing on menswear. We retail independent designers from all over the world that don’t have a large presence in the Southeast. We are also a gallery space for local artists, and a production studio for our own clothing line.
How has your business been impacted by COVID-19?
Closing our doors in March meant we couldn't have the daily traffic or events that were so vital to our business. We decided to make better use of our studio and shift our focus to production of face masks. We were one of the first businesses in the nation to make this transition, and it paid off. We were able to provide thousands of masks to our local community, and donate masks to local healthcare professionals and children in public schools.
How are you using the grant funds, and how will they help your business?
Thanks to the HartBeat of Main Street Grant, our retail space now exists online, with a beautiful website and professional photography, and we have been able to make the appropriate changes to safely re-open our brick and mortar.
What advice would you give to small business owners who are struggling right now?
If I could lend advice to small business owners, it would be to remember that the beauty of small business is flexibility. You have to be flexible to survive something like this, and even better if you can do so while giving back to your local community.
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