LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As shoppers continue buying last-minute gifts, business owners are counting on Kentuckians to think small this year.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the holiday season is crucial for small businesses across the state. The challenge is getting customers back into the store.

”Here we are it's Friday, the last Friday before Christmas, I would normally have probably 20 people in the store right now,” said Leslie Delgado, owner of Peace of the Earth in Louisville.

When Delgado opened Peace of the Earth several years ago, she probably didn’t include "weathering a pandemic" in her business plans.

“It’s challenging to have a business anyway, but this year it’s just unprecedented and there’s no guidebook to like tell people how to run a business during a pandemic,” Delgado said.

While shopping looks different this holiday season, Delgado is navigating through new shopping behaviors.

“Fortunately for us we pivoted this year and managed to put about 80 percent of our store’s inventory online. Our online sales are up about 300 percent," Delgado said.

Retailers have said they see 60 percent of their annual sales in November and December.

She added that this is a top sales opportunity for her business.

“We rely on the holiday sales to get us through the first quarter of the first year. So while we’re okay in December I’m really worried like come March, April,” Delgado said.

Not too far down the street in NULU, business woman Melissa Huff knows its not easy to run a shop. She entered the pandemic juggling the opening of her new business back in March, Mamili, and was forced to shut down a week later due to restrictions.

“It’s been a rollercoaster so going into Christmas we had no clue of how much we should buy, if there was going to be much shopping,” Huff explained.

The creative store owner carries a variety of items from clothing to jewelry and you’ll even find rows of other gifts, there’s something for everyone.

“It was a lot of stress but a lot of planning and trying to think positive and figure out how we could keep things going, get people in the boutique,” Huff said.

She says despite the shift in how they are selling, she’s working hard to accommodate her customers demands, especially during this pandemic.

“We’ve learned to adapt and we’re just trying to be creative in the marketing end. On the price point trying to have price points not as high,” Huff added.

So now, these retailers are leaning on consumers to shop local.

“Wash your hands, wear your mask and just come out and support all the local businesses because cause they really need it. There have been a good amount that closed and that’s been heartbreaking,” Huff explained.

“If you enjoy coming to like neighborhoods like NULU or places in the Highlands like little locally owned businesses and you want those places to still be around it’s really going to require your support,” Delgado said.

Both business owners suggest if you can’t make it in person to support locally owned businesses, check to see if they have any online first.