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In 2018 we were notified that eBay was considering Greensboro for their next “eBay city” as a part of their Retail Revival program.
In December of 2018 the eBay team flew to Greensboro. The night they arrived I picked them up to show them some authentic Greensboro sites. One of those sites was the Sunset Hills “Holiday Lights”. Like most people, they were awed by the beauty, simplicity and “localness”.
The next day, with help from Triad Local First, Downtown Greensboro, The Greensboro Chamber and The Greensboro Merchants Association, we assembled an enthusiastic group of small businesses who wanted to learn about the program.
In February 2019 we were designated the “eBay City” for their Retail Revival program. Fifty small businesses were chosen to receive high touch training and free services by the eBay marketing team.
I personally reached out to many small businesses to make sure they were aware of this opportunity. One of those businesses was Acme Comics on Lawndale Drive. On Saturday, Acme Comics celebrated their 20th year of Free Comic Book Day. This year it was under the new ownership of Jermaine Exum. Jermaine had been known locally as the long-time manager of Acme. He is a Retail Revival success story!
At the time of the Retail Revival announcement, we didn’t know that within a year small businesses would be impacted by COVID. The Retail Revival program prepared them to compete in the digital marketplace. Not just in Greensboro, but globally.
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