COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Dozens of vendors at Painted Tree Boutiques off Barnes Road are rushing to pack up their jewelry, crafts, paintings and other goods before the store closes its doors for good.
The sudden closure has left many small business owners scrambling and unsure of what comes next.
"It's disappointing. We were blindsided," said one vendor.
"It's all in boxes now," said another vendor.
For Angelina Martinez and her husband, who run a haberdashery, the news meant interrupting a camping trip hours away on Wednesday to clear out their booth.
"We literally left our camper up in the mountains. We had to get a U-Haul, come here, move this stuff home, then head all the way back," said Martinez. "It was income, but it was also a passion."
Martinez has another space inside a Cañon City store, but what is left of their sole Colorado Springs location is now packed in boxes in the back of a U-Haul. She noted they cannot fit all of their items into the other spot.
"For now, a lot of this is just gonna go home," said Martinez.
Other vendors are losing out on their usual buyers in the area. Steve Genoshe said his wife operated a booth as a post-retirement hobby, which benefited from having a physical location.
"My wife had a booth here where she sold mostly child learning items," said Genoshe. "It gave her something to do and she loves kids. She was doing everything before online and it didn't pan out very well."
Mike and Kristy Manzanares, who run Cup O' Snark, are also packing up their booth.
"We sell Halloween year round," said Manzanares. "Everybody's had to change everything they're doing this week because no one is sure when they're going to lock the doors."
Similar to Martinez, the couple has another place where they sell their goods well north of Colorado Springs.
"Not everyone has another store," said Manzanares.
Whether selling kids' games or year-round Halloween decor, the biggest scare for these vendors is if they will get paid by Painted Tree.
News5 reached out to Painted Tree by email and phone to ask if the company will pay vendors for their April sales, but have not yet received a response.
But other businesses are stepping up. A Downtown Colorado Springs business owner says she is ready to help vendors who previously sold items at Painted Tree find a new home.
Dodi D’Alessio owns Vintage Relics, a store that features a mix of antiques and local sellers under one roof. She is willing to put her personal sales on hold to ensure displaced vendors can keep selling.
"It was sad for most for all the people that suddenly lost their either income or their second income and they were really scrambling and not knowing what to do," said D’Alessio.
D’Alessio is willing to move her own items to make room for others.
"I have about two rooms that are my own personal items that I sell and I would be willing to move and shift some items around, of course, to make space for somebody," said D’Alessio.
Trey Oyervides, co-owner of Spring Soap Co., left Painted Tree at the end of February to find a better arrangement at Vintage Relics.
"They let us put our spin on it... came in and painted everything... and got it more home for us," said Oyervides.
Oyervides noted the benefits of dealing directly with the store's ownership as opposed to a larger company.
"We don't have to worry about are we going to get paid or not? We deal directly with the owner and she makes sure that we're taken care of," said Oyervides.
“If we can make it work we'll make it work,” said D’Alessio.
D'Alessio said vendors in need of a new spot can send her an email at vintagerelics1@gmail.com.
For some vendors, the Colorado Springs Painted Tree is their only location. Others have shops at Painted Tree locations in other states, meaning an even bigger move-out is underway for them.
But if they are looking for some assistance, here are some businesses and Organizations on Facebook who say they will take or help vendors:
- Vintage Relics
- Hidden Gems
- Rusty Treasures N Worn Threads
- AffoGatto
- Colorado Springs Ladies Events
- Hunt & Homestead Marketplace
- The Corner Collective Market
- Treehouse Cafe
___
Homeowners purchase rain barrels to save gardens and money following a dry winter season
Spring showers could be a saving grace for homeowners following a dry winter. One way to use the rain we do get is to collect and store it in a rain barrel.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
