Even with laying off a few employees, Elmore said the paper still had to pay the costs of printing and distribution, which accounts for the majority of the company’s overhead. Yet when the coronavirus hit the Four Corners and nonessential businesses closed their doors, the paper lost its main revenue source.
“A lot of these things aren’t allowed on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.” “We had a huge following from the agriculture community, gun owners and people selling livestock and pets,” he said. “We would have been able to operate at that level for the foreseeable future, on and on and on.”ĭespite downsizes to staff and deliveries over the years, the paper had been able to weather the 2008 economic downturn and the turn to digital because it held a unique position in the Four Corners community, Elmore said. Their direct customers became local businesses that bought the larger classified ads. While some people might blame websites like Craigslist for pushing classifieds out of business, Elmore said their family paper could have operated for many more years if it had not been for the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on local businesses.īut Elmore did say very little of the paper’s income came from everyday consumers after Craigslist because they had to offer the smaller ads for pretty much free. It felt like putting down a pet,” Elmore sai. Whenever the business takes a hit, you personally take a hit. “You put your heart and soul into your business. During its time, the classified paper reached more than 100,000 people a week throughout the Four Corners and helped support local charities and fundraising,said Allen Elmore, Robert’s son and the manager of the classifieds since 2008. FARMINGTON – When Robert Elmore moved to Farmington in the 1980s, theĪfter 35 years in print, the Thrifty Nickel announced in early May it would permanently close its doors, unable to weather the economic environment.
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