LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For days, many local businesses have kept a close watch on developments with the Kentucky Derby."I know it's about the horses, but it's also about the event with the fans and everything that goes along with it," Kathy Olliges, the owner of Dee's in Louisville, said.
It may always look like it's Derby season at Dee's with its shelves and tables full of flowery and feathery hats, but the store is missing something it normally has this time of year - people.
"It's been good up until now, up until even a couple days ago, things were going well," Olliges said.
Olliges said she had anticipated the Kentucky Derby would be moved, and now that the historic race has officially been rescheduled for Sept. 5 due to the spread of COVID-19, she and many other businesses that rely on the Derby for traffic are preparing for a slow spring.
"It's a struggle because obviously we're not as busy," she said. "Even in our floral department, even in our home dec, we're not as busy. People aren't out, which is the way it should be."
It's not just Dee's that will be feeling the squeeze from the change. The Kentucky Derby Festival is also moving its events later, and it hopes the $156 million it brings in annually to the local economy will follow it as well.
"With tourism and with challenges to restaurants and people being employed, that's going to be really important," Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Matt Gibson said. "And it's our goal to be close to that as an economic generator."
Olliges said the decrease in customers is leading the store to cut down on some employee hours, though she said they will continue to keep working. For now, she's focused on staying positive, especially when it comes to the new Derby date.
"We looked it up, the average is like 79 degrees for the last 10 years, no rain. So that part's going to be really good," she said. "People have a hard time finding their dresses in the spring because dress shops don't get them in that soon. Now they've got all summer."
Like many other businesses, Dee's is encouraging its customers to shop online. Dee's will also be running promotions through its Facebook page.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.