Business was booming for some of Hollister’s downtown merchants
following one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, but
others hope sales pick up as Christmas draws near, saying this
season could make or break their businesses.
Hollister – Business was booming for some of Hollister’s downtown merchants following one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, but others hope sales pick up as Christmas draws near, saying this season could make or break their businesses.
Several local retailers believe Saturday’s Lights On Celebration and parade, which drew thousands to downtown Hollister, helped get the weekend off to a good start. But other merchants reported sales figures were down slightly compared to last year.
Boutique de Lingerie used a sale to entice hundreds of customers through its San Benito Street doors early Friday morning, according to employee Jennifer Pfeiffer.
“We had a huge sale on Friday – it was phenomenal,” she said Monday. “It was the best we’ve had in three years, and Saturday after the parade was good, too.”
Although she didn’t have sales figures yet, Pfeiffer believes the store sold more goods and brought in more money at the start of this year’s holiday season compared to last year.
“Last Christmas was really bad with all the box stores opening in Gilroy, so I’m hoping it will be better this year,” Pfeiffer said. “This is a very important year for us. If we don’t do well we won’t be here next year.”
Pfeiffer is hoping customers will continue to frequent the store in record numbers. She expects pajamas, red nighties, furs and feathers to be some of this year’s hottest items, she said.
While Boutique de Lingerie reported strong sales throughout the weekend, retailers nationwide reported a modest start to the holiday shopping season. Consumers across the country jammed stores for bargains in the early morning hours Friday but seemed to lose interest as the weekend wore on, according to the Associated Press.
“If you give Americans a bargain, they will get up whatever time to take advantage of it. But I don’t think this weekend turned out to be as big as retailers hoped,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, based in Charleston, S.C.
Discounters and electronics stores appeared to be the big winners nationwide. But analysts said business at apparel stores seemed more mixed – a trend Deborah Wood, owner of local clothing store Drapoel, can attest to. Even though sales picked up on Saturday following a slower than usual Black Friday, Wood said at the end of the weekend sales were off overall by about 10 to 20 percent compared to the same time last year, she said.
“It wasn’t bad, we had a lot of traffic,” said Wood, whose store sells contemporary apparel, footwear and accessories. “Friday was slower than last year, but Saturday was good. The problem is most people went out of town.”
This Christmas season is a crucial one for Wood, who recently expanded her store by adding a juniors line of clothing. The season’s sales will determine whether or not Drapoel continues in Hollister, she said. Wood plans to use advertising to draw customers in, and will be donating to local charities throughout the season in order to help the less fortunate and remind Hollister residents that Drapoel is an important part of the community.
But despite the slow start, Wood remains optimistic that sales will pick up in the coming weeks and hopes exorbitant gas prices and crowded outlet stores will encourage Hollister residents to take advantage of downtown shopping.
Sheila Stevens, owner of She’s clothing store and president of the Hollister Downtown Association, is convinced the holiday season will be a boon for many downtown businesses.
“We’re all ahead of the game already – it’s going to be a good year,” Stevens said Monday. “Every year (downtown businesses) get a little better and a little stronger.”
Sales at She’s were up 15 percent already this year compared to 2004, and Stevens believes specialty stores that sell quality merchandise will continue to attract customers to the downtown area.
While the Thanksgiving weekend marked the official start of the holiday shopping season for stores on land, Monday kicked off the season for online retailers. So far, early signs bode well for the rest of the season.
Nationwide, non-travel online retail sales rose 22 percent to $1.89 billion for the week ending Friday compared to last year, according to comScore Networks, an Internet research firm. And Yahoo! Shopping reported that the number of visits to its site rose 52 percent on Friday, better than the 30 percent jump expected.
Across the country, forecasts for holiday shopping have improved in recent weeks amid declining gasoline prices. But gas is still more expensive than this time last year, and shoppers face higher heating bills this winter. Given such challenges, stores tried to lure shoppers with more enticing bargains, expanded hours on Friday and other gimmicks.
AP Business Writer Anne D’Innocenzio contributed to this report.
