Over the past couple of months, several locally owned businesses in Bowling Green have closed to the public for various reasons, leaving residents and supporters confused.
Hallie Williams, executive director of the Downtown Bowling Green Special Improvement District, said that being a small business owner is not easy. There are constantly decisions needing to be made, some of which may be perceived differently by the public.
“It is a very hard job being a small business owner, and it’s not for the faint of heart,” said Williams. “Sometimes, when a small business owner has maybe chosen to close their business, it’s not a failure… those were decisions that those business owners had to make, but I hope it gives them a new opportunity, or you know, their next chapter is maybe a different business.”
David Dewey, a marketing professor at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), said that the in-person shopping experience needs to be worthwhile in order to keep customers going to local businesses, rather than just purchasing something online.
“The ease of buying something online and having it delivered home I think has affected a lot of retail,” said Dewey. “The retail business is just really tough right now, so what you’ve got to really do is make sure that the shopping experience is a value.”
Billy Seiling, owner of Refresh Toys, also said the easy access to shopping online is an obstacle, but that business owners should consider this and work even harder to draw in customers.
“We’re competing with the internet in 2026,” said Seiling. “You can order anything from your phone. How do I get you to come into the store and make it exciting? That’s how I look at this business.”
Seiling added that a common theme he sees on social media is people tend to react after a business announces its closure, but not as much while the operation is up and running.
“As soon as they [the business] announces they’re going out of business, there’s 5,000 people online saying they love that place,” said Seiling. “In my opinion, if you love a place, you should support it.”
Along with strengthening connections within the Bowling Green community, Seiling said that there could be internship opportunities for students through his business for anyone who may be interested in gaining experience.
“We’re always looking for BGSU students to work here, and if there’s any professors on campus that have an interesting internship idea for us, we’d consider it,” said Seiling. “I feel like with the amount of college students in town and the amount that we actually get through the door, there’s a huge gap between those two numbers…we’re trying to make headway into the university, as is every other business in town.”
Williams said has a special appreciation for her position, as she is able to connect the community with one another through supporting small businesses.
“I have a unique role where I get to help support our community, our small businesses and people who are in it everyday,” said Williams. “I get to help people see each other as neighbors, and I think that work is really important for how we support each other, and how we build reciprocity.”
Williams said that she hopes the future of Bowling Green remains connective and tightknit, and that local businesses continue to thrive for years to come.
“I love our community, I love what our businesses are doing and the culture that our business owners or property owners have built within Bowling Green,” said Williams. “I think that we’re going to continue to see businesses change hands, and hopefully we can retain those. As we have some older business owners or property owners that are retiring and wanting to offset those assets, I hope we can find the next generation to carry that on as well.”
