DaySpring sale re-created
■ Sale has become a significant tourism event in Siloam Springs.
DaySpring has re-created its annual sale to accommodate covid-19 safety protocols and social distancing requirements.
The sale, which has become a tourism event in Siloam Springs, has a new location in the former Stage store in Signature Plaza and is spread out over a month to limit the number of people in the building at one time, according to Sherri Brooker, sale coordinator and outlet store manager.
The sale began on Oct. 27 and customers can purchase $5 tickets to two-hour time slots on Tuesdays through Saturdays through Nov. 21. All profits from the ticket sales will be donated to The Manna Center to help those in need during the holidays, Brooker said.
“Everything is different because of covid,” Brooker said. “We are just trying to keep the community safe, the shoppers safe and the workers all safe.”
DaySpring worked with the
company’s covid-19 response team to plan the sale, she said. In addition to making the sale a ticketed event, the company has installed Plexiglas shields at cash registers, and employees are sanitizing and wiping down frequently touched surfaces such as counter tops, carts and credit card machines, and asking customers to social distance and wear a mask, she said. The hour break between each time slot also gives employees time to clean the store, she said.
The new format has some advantages, including no more long checkout lines for customers and more space to display items, she said.
The sale will still offer the same number of products as in years past, she said. Items are discounted 50 to 80 percent and range in price for $0.10 to $30, she said.
Popular items this year include T-shirts, farm house-baskets, computer bags and backpacks, and children’s items, in addition to staples such as greeting cards and gifts.
In previous years, the sale has drawn at least 6,000 customers from as far away as Tennessee and New Mexico. Churches from across the region are still booking times and several of the time slots have already sold out, Brooker said. The company is selling time slots one week at a time to make sure everyone stays safe, she said.
Tickets for the sale can be purchased at dayspringsale.eventbrite.com.