After a turbulent year, Hollister’s downtown business owners
said local consumers came through in the clutch and boosted sales
this holiday season.
Hollister – After a turbulent year, Hollister’s downtown business owners said local consumers came through in the clutch and boosted sales this holiday season.
“Sales were good in December; the people rallied around and really wanted to support downtown Hollister. Sales were probably about the same as last year, but considering what we’ve been through this year that’s good,” said Dorothy McNett, owner of Dorothy McNett’s Place, a downtown kitchen store.
Hot sellers included kitchen gadgets, aprons, and German and Italian cakes, which she sold out of right away, McNett said.
“We brought in more specialty foods from Italy, Germany and Spain this year, and sales of cheeses and wine from all over the world were exceptionally strong,” she said.
McNett said her online sales were consistently strong both this year and last year, and because the Web site’s sales are usually stronger than her in-store sales, she has opted to condense her store front and focus more on online business.
“Everything we have in the store, we’re going to have on our Web site, so people won’t have to dress up to go shopping,” she said.
That follows a national trend. Online sales across the country soared, according to the Associated Press. Internet research firm comScore Networks Inc. estimates Internet retail sales went up 23 to 26 percent this quarter, the AP reported.
Kelly Owczarzak, of Kelly’s Gift Place at San Benito and Sixth streets, also said business was booming this Christmas.
“This year has been phenomenal; one of the best we’ve had,” she said. “It’s been over the top. We’ve had a lot of good response about our new location, and I’ve had a lot of response from customers who are very happy with other downtown stores, too.”
Kelly’s saw a lot of new customers this holiday season after moving from its smaller location next door, Owczarzak added
While much of Kelly’s success may have been due to first-time customers, Rita Del Pozzo of Dick Bruhn men’s clothing store said this year Bruhn’s has the same customers to thank as it always has.
“We have a lot of loyal residents of Hollister who shop here; most of them are people that have shopped with us for a while,” she said.
In an effort to bolster downtown sales this year, the Hollister Downtown Association sponsored a “Lights On” parade showcasing local businesses, and downtown shops stayed open late until 8pm on Thursday nights through Christmas. Hard Times Cafe owner Terry Woodard said his restaurant benefited from both.
“It was a really nice holiday,” he said. “I think we saw a lot of business from Lights On, and also people coming in after shopping late on Thursday nights.”
Nationally, chain retailers like Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney and the Sharper Image saw only small increases in sales this winter over the rest of the year, according to the AP. The International Council of Shopping Centers is predicting a 2.5 to 3 percent rise in sales during this last quarter of the year, the AP reported.
More definite numbers on the national scale won’t be available for at least another week because of the increasing popularity of gift cards, according to the AP. Gift cards and gift certificates are not counted as a sale until the recipient uses them, it reported.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at
jq*****@fr***********.com
.
