For today’s Q&A with a local business, we interviewed Against The Grain owner Chris Meier. The Main Street business (here on Instagram), selling handcrafted gifts and furniture, is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and offers FaceTime interactions as well as shipping and delivery, and curbside pickup.
Here’s our interview.
How are you doing?
Against The Grain owner Chris Meier. Credit: Michael Dinan
Chris Meier: Like all businesses, it has definitely been an adjustment period. I have been trying to stay busy, getting all our products online. I want to make the shopping experience as seamless as possible for people. All of our furniture and now gourmet foods and chocolate and sweets, are featured online, along with puzzles and games. It’s been hard to get all of those on the website and I am constantly updating and tweaking it, so that it’s a pleasant experience for people online. Our in-store experience is one where people come in and play with the marvel machines, sit in our seats and furniture, and our loyal are customers in the store so that has been adjustment, but I’m doing my best to answer questions.
Against The Grain has games and puzzles available online for purchase. Photo courtesy of Chris Meier
What as the support from the community been like?
It’s been positive as far as people are very patient. They understand that things are different. I have a lot of my customers calling in, past customers are ordering more furniture and new people are calling. They are willing to do FaceTime and see what we have in stock and visit our website. So it’s been positive in terms of people supportive us and understanding that it’s not the same and it’s going to be an adjustment period through all of this.
Against The Grain offers an assortment of gourmet foods and sweets with free local delivery or curbside pickup. Photo courtesy of Chris Meier
No one knows just how long the health-related restrictions will be in place. With that said, what your sense at this point—will you be able to outlast the crisis?
I think we will definitely be OK. We have grown a good following over the years. People know we have quality products and quality furniture and the fact that you can see products online now is very important. So people know the name and quality. As things change, we will still have our storefront but we will have more online. We were kind of transitioning to that more too, because it’s something I have to focus on. But overall it has also forced me to push myself to get the website up and running way I like it, so that’s kind of a positive in all of this. More people are online to see our products.
An Against The Grain fire pit setup. Photo courtesy of Chris Meier
What are your best-selling items?
Right now we are seeing families wanting to spend time outside, on their lawns, so we are doing a lot of furniture orders, fire pits, we are delivering fire pits and setting up chairs around them. People are preparing to be outside and spend their free time together, and we want them to be as comfortable as possible. We are selling Adirondack chairs, fire pits and doing custom food baskets, gourmet foods and sweets. Obviously puzzles are big hits as well, it keeps the kids busy.
What is your message for customers?
To say positive and take this time to enjoy time with your family, and any way Against The Grain can help you, give us a call and we can take you through whatever setup you want in your yard and I will help make the experience as pleasant as possible during this tough time.