HOLLISTER
As massive crowds hunted for savings in Gilroy, Hollister residents and merchants greeted the start of the Christmas shopping season a little more sedately.
Hollister doesn’t have anything to compare to the outlets’ midnight sales, but Kelly Owczarzak, co-owner of Kelly’s Gift Place, has started a tradition of her own. On the day after Thanksgiving – known as “Black Friday” because it’s the day when many businesses finally turn a profit – she opens her doors at 5 a.m. and offers big savings to those who arrive early.
Kelly’s Gift Place continued that tradition Friday, joined for the first time by downtown clothing store She’s. While most of the neighborhood was dark, both shops turned their lights on and welcomed locals who braved the chilly morning.
Cheryl Annotti said she has become a regular shopper at the store’s post-Thanksgiving sales.
“It’s such a nice place,” she said.
Many were drawn by the savings, but Annotti was also taking advantage of the early hour to get some shopping done before going to work. She said her next stop would be She’s, then Staples.
“That’s more for my office, but they’ve got some good sales, too,” Annotti said.
Some Kelly’s Gift Place patrons, including Tracy Hutson of Oceano, had a full morning of shopping ahead of them, with trips planned to Gilroy and elsewhere. Others, such as Hollister resident Wendy Southwood, were less ambitious.
“Oh, this is going to be it for me,” Southwood said. “That’s why I’m wearing my pajamas.”
Co-owner Todd Owczarzak said that when the morning crowd thinned out at 7 a.m., the store had made between 75 or 80 sales. That’s an improvement over last year, but not quite as good as 2005, he said.
The next few weeks will be crucial for the gift store’s finances, Kelly Owczarzak acknowledged. With rising gas prices and falling home values, this Christmas season could be tough for businesses.
“I’m definitely nervous,” Kelly Owczarzak said. “But from a retailer’s perspective, I’m hoping the high gas prices keep people closer to home.”
Luckily, sales have met expectations for the year so far, she said.
She’s owner Sheila Stevens said she was inspired by the past success of her neighbor Kelly’s to open at the same time. Things appeared quieter at She’s, but Stevens said she is still satisfied with the turnout.
“Maybe next year someone else will do it, too,” she said.
Beyond downtown Hollister, there were other signs that the Christmas season had started. For one thing, Target opened for sales at 6 a.m. For another, Bourdet’s Choose and Cut Christmas Trees – east of Fairview Road – is now ready for business. Early sales have been “steady,” owner John Bourdet reported Friday afternoon.
Not that Christmas shopping is all about dollars and cents. For kids, coming out and choosing a tree with your parents is an important experience, Bourdet said. And many at Kelly’s and at Bourdet’s said they were just happy to be out spending their time with their families.
“This is the first year I’ve ever (come out early),” Hollister resident Tammy Davis said at Kelly’s. “I was attracted by the 50 percent off, but I also thought it was nice to come out with my daughter. … We’re going to hit Target next. Then we’re going to go home and take a nap.”
