Businesses struggle to stay afloat amid COVID-19 pandemic

WAYNE, Pa. - The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on small businesses along the 100 block of Lancaster Avenue in Wayne. 

"It's sad when you walk down the street. It's not the little village of Wayne when I rented 22 years ago with all the cute little shops. It's very different," Donna Martella, owner of Belladonna Gifts, said.

Martella is moving to the Lancaster County Farmers Market because she can't afford the more than $10,000 a month rent. 

After almost 10 years, Alicia Eger decided to close her Wayne Coco Blue store.

"COVID sealed the deal for me. The losses I incurred. The rent I was paying didn't really get a break," Eger said.

Fortunately, she was able to keep her store at the shore open.

"My landlord in Stone Harbor was sweet enough to offer me a discount. Here was another story," she said.

The owner of Christine Shirley is not giving up even though she's been shut down since March.

Paige Sullivan is trying to reinvent her business, which sells handmade items by offering monthly shopping events starting next week. 

Dina Previti, who has a counseling and coaching business in the same building, says small businesses need to band together to find ways to help each other. 

"There's always hope, which is the tag line for my business, yeah I always have hope."

___

For the latest local news, sports and weather, download the FOX 29 News app.

DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP

Sign up for emails from FOX 29, including our daily Good Day Digest