BOISE, Idaho — For many businesses now, it's a tough time finding people to work. Businesses, ranging from restaurants to senior care centers, across the Treasure Valley are beginning to feel the squeeze of the worker shortage. Now, that shortage has impacted Boise-based Zamzows.
The lawn, garden and pet business told KTVB that they're so understaffed that for the first time in 88 years, they're now having to reduce their store hours. It's currently the company's busiest time of the year and there isn't enough staff to cover regular business hours.
“This is what we call Christmas time at Zamzows,” Zamzows' co-CEO Callie Zamzow said.
It’s the busiest time of the year for Zamzows because it’s springtime and that’s the time when folks across the Treasure Valley are starting to garden, which is why the company created a radio ad to inform the public that they're cutting their store hours.
“Effective Monday, May 3, all Zamzows will be opening one hour later at 10 a.m. and closing one hour earlier at 6 p.m., Monday through Friday,” the radio ad states.
Across the 13 stores, Zamzows is short about 25 people.
“We're hoping people will understand that we wouldn’t have done this if we didn’t have to,” Zamzow said.
She added that there are a few reasons they decided to broadcast this. One, radio is the way they've communicated with the community for 30 years. They also wanted to raise awareness of what's happening at businesses across the Treasure Valley.
“We took a Sunday drive, just this last weekend and we decided to play a little game in our car and see how many reader boards or signs say ’We’re hiring’ or ‘Apply within,’ and within a one-mile stretch on Fairview, there were 12 businesses,” Zamzow said.
The Boise-based company's ad also included a message.
“While you're out shopping, at Zamzows, or at any business, please be kind and realize the employee who is serving you is doing the best they can, and maybe doing double-duty without a day off,” the radio ad said.
“I think we all just need to have a little more patience and a little more kindness across the board in this valley right now,” Zamzow said.