It has been a challenge! Starting back in mid-March, we made a decision to try to stay “open” even though our doors were closed. We shifted all of our focus selling online. So, instead of having regular business hours, we have essentially been open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

During those last weeks of March, we donated 25% of our sales to The Upper Valley Haven, and I think our customers appreciated the opportunity to support the area's most vulnerable people while also supporting Indigo.   

Is Indigo open or have you employed curbside or virtual shopping? Hours open? Days?

All of our business since the end of March has been conducted through Instagram, Shopify, Facebook DM, phone orders, and even text messages to my cell phone.  We have been shipping orders, making home deliveries to locals, and packaging up merchandise for curbside pick-up.  

How have you been able to boost consumer confidence? How are you reaching them?

We use daily Instagram posts to stay in touch with our customers, showing spring and summer fashions and offering special pricing.  We've also hosted several shopping parties on Zoom for groups of people who want to socialize online and shop at the same time.  These have been very successful and a lot of fun.  We've kept lights on in the store and changed the window displays, and I think that has given people a sense of hope.  Our loyal customers have been a wonderful source of support for us during this time, and we could not be any more grateful to them for continuing to keep us in mind.  Indigo relies heavily on the Dartmouth community, so when the college went to virtual learning in the middle of March, we knew this was going to be an especially difficult time.  But at the same time, many students and their parents have continued to shop with us online.  

Thinking about the end of the Pandemic, how will you adapt to a post Pandemic landscape?

Most importantly, we will be closely following safety guidelines from the state and the CDC after we reopen during the week of May 11.  We'll cut occupancy in the store by 50%, and all of our employees will wear face masks.  We have a plexiglass barrier in place at the register, and curbside and delivery options are still available for customers who want to use that.  Beyond these safety measures, we just want to continue to serve the public by providing an enjoyable retail clothing experience on Main Street. We want to be part of helping the community get back to a sense of normalcy.  And we really can't wait for the Dartmouth students to return! I also just want to say that I have found so many silver linings throughout this whole period of drastic change.  The connection with my customers feels stronger than ever.  Maybe I am crazy, but I am feeling optimistic.

Mia is the daughter of the late architect Charles “Treat” Arnold. She grew up in Hanover and attended Hanover High School where she is remembered as a champion runner. She lived in Washington, D.C. after graduating from college, then moved back to New England and worked for many years for Jay Campion who initially hired her to help him open a Montpelier department store in the ‘80s.

Co-owner and husband Doug Vogt is a third-generation stonemason and manages the business’s books. Mia selects the lines, attends fashion industry trade shows, and oversees the sales staff.

Contact Mia and Doug Vogt at Indigo, 22 South Main Street, Hanover, N.H.  03755, 603 643-3343 or Bella, 43 South Main Street, Hanover, N.H. 03755, 603 643-5698. Email is [email protected] or [email protected]